Embers
by MaddiMastermind
Summary: She wasn't always alone. Her heart wasn't ice, it was kept warm against the frost of hatred by a few burning embers of friendship and loyalty. Her heart was weak, but willing to love. My first fic, AU FTL and OUAT. Eventual SWANQUEEN.
1. Chapter 1- The Meeting

A/N: First off, this is my first time writing so bear with me. LOl. I feel like I've creeped long enough on here to finally put out a story of my own. This story is SwanQueen but I feel like Regina needs some kind of actual support system.  
So I took the liberty of creating an OC to keep her company until then, so that means there will be friendship before SQ goodness.  
And maybe some OC/? romance? I haven't decided with whom yet, but it will happen..maybe. So since there is an OC, this will be AU.

Disclaimer: I regret to inform you that none of this belongs to me.

-Enchanted Forest, Sometime ago-

It was a crisp Autumn afternoon, the leaves had just begun to change color and were lightly rustling in the playful breeze. Amongst these trees is where a young girl found solace and sanctuary from her mother's scorn..if only for a few precious moments. That is why she finds herself running breathlessly through the trees, desperate to get away after another one of her mother's intense "lessons". As soon as she reached the grove she felt relief flood her system. That is until she heard a twig snap, _'What was that? Did someone manage to follow me here?!'_ these thoughts and others swirled around her brain in a maelstrom of panic and distress. The rustling of leaves coming from the bushes across from her signals the intruder's arrival. She turns to face what lie ahead with bated breath, when suddenly out of the bushes bursts a stag followed by a blur of tan skin and untamed hair. Unable to control herself, the young lady lets out a yelp of shock. The yelp manages to startle both the predator and the prey. The eyes of the huntress snap to meet hers, and the young girl is left slightly breathless at the sight of her counterpart's fierce grey eyes. The stag takes advantage of its pursuer's distraction and bounds off in another direction, free to live for another day.

XXXXXXX

She sighed in annoyance, she'd been tracking this buck for nearly 3 1/2 miles and now she had to factor in the slight breeze to make sure she remained undetected and that her aim was true. The seasons were changing which meant she needed to stock up on her meat supply before the game became scarce and the weather too frigid to hunt in, well successfully anyway. She also made an effort to mark-quietly as possible of course-a tree she passed by so after the kill she would have some inkling of where to go, one could easily get lost in these woods. Movement in the corner of her eye focused her attention on the task at hand. Taking a few cleansing breaths she nocks her arrow and pulls back on the string, keeping her aim steady she finds the area where she knows the heart of the beast lies. She takes a few extra seconds to get into a more comfortable position, when the breeze abruptly changes course, carrying her scent right into the nostrils of the stag.  
Startled the animal's head shoots up from the grass it was feasting on, in search of the predator it had scented.

Their eyes meet for the briefest of seconds before the buck takes off. Cursing under her breath at her hesitance she gives chase, hoping to get another opportunity to dispatch the creature. But alas, the fates did not have a successful hunt in the cards for the young huntress, she followed the buck into a clearing and heard the most peculiar sound. Shocked and slightly agitated that someone dare intrude on her hunt she whips her head in the direction of the noise and finds herself glaring into frightened brown orbs.

XXXXXXXX

For what felt like hours neither said a word, they both just stared at each other, one with a mixture of shock and awe, and the other with curiosity tinged with annoyance. It was the former that finally broke the scilence. "Who are you and why are you in **my** grove?" try as she might, arrogance still seeped into her tone. When she received no answer, she looked up to find herself being examined by the slightly taller girl, who had her head tilted to the side as her eyes trekked around her slim frame. Feeling it was only fair, she too started her own examination. The girl in front of her was wearing what appeared to be an assortment of animal furs and deer hide as clothing._ 'A Child of the Forrest perhaps? Oh! Or maybe even a Nymph?'_ She soon found herself slightly marveling at muscles and scars that were showing and marring otherwise lovely tanned skin and wondering if there were more being hidden by the clothing. Her eyes next target was the stranger's face, even underneath all of the dirt and grime a person could easily tell she had an exotic beauty. Finally, she looked at the young woman's hair, full of leaves and more or less unkempt save for a small braid resting on her shoulder decorated with a bright red feather hanging on the end. There was something about it that gave the interloper an untamable aura that intrigued her for unknown reasons. With that in mind, she cleared her throat and asked a different question."What is your name?"

XXXXXXXXX

This was the most surprised she'd been in a long time. Usually she wasn't the biggest fan of surprises, but as she looked at this girl she decided that not all surprises were bad. She couldn't help the need to study the stranger before her. They looked to be about the same age she surmised, due to the height difference she would say the girl was about thirteen summers compared to her fifteen. But there was something else there, something different about this girl. She focused her attention solely on th being in front of her, letting the world slowly drift away, and that's when she sensed it..magic!  
To say she was shocked was an understatement, it was not very common for a human to be born with natural magic. Being only half human herself she was able to wield magic with relative ease but for a full human to have magic ready to be tapped into? It was simply unheard of! _'Maybe that is why I find her so interesting. No, there is more to it than simple curiosity.' _As her gaze drifted across the younger girl's body she had to hold in a shudder when taking in the dress and corset she was wearing._ 'I will never understand the need for such devices.'_, her thoughts were interrupted by the younger girl's voice. It was a hard battle, but she managed not to roll her eyes at the attempted imperious tone thinly veiled behind the questions. Instead of responding she continued her almost lazy perusal of the lithe form hidden by the dress. Her olive-toned skin was practically flawless, save for a scar above her upper lip. Her hair fell in hypnotic waves around her shoulders, but what caught the huntress' attention were those deep brown pools so expressive and full of emotion that it almost stole the breath from her lungs. The overwhelming urge to get to know this girl was nearly unbearable. Her eyes slowly rose to meet the other girl's, she licked her slightly dry lips before replying "Rune.",the still unnamed girl smiled slightly after that and she returned her smile with one of her own. Then after a beat she asked,"And you? What are you called?" The girl seemed to hesitate for a moment before responding "Regina...my name is Regina."


	2. Chapter 2- Give Me Strength

**A/N:** I do apologize for the errors, I do intend to go back and fix those. Thanks for the follows, I was slightly nervous about that. Lol.

-Enchanted Forest, Five months later-

Soon after the pair introduced themselves they had to part ways. But when they look back on that day, they knew that they had a failed hunt to thank for their companionship. As the months passed, Regina's visits to what was now known as "their grove" became more and more frequent. It appeared that her mother's ruthlessness was only increasing. On more than one occasion Rune entered the grove and was greeted by her friend's smiling face, but the soft sound of her cries. Another such greeting is what she heard today

Xxxxxx

She hated crying! It showed weakness, that she was weak, but most importantly she believed that every time she cried her mother gained a little more of her soul. She didn't jump when she felt arms encircle her and pull her close to a familiar body. She turned and buried her face in the older woman's chest taking in her calming scent._ 'She must be so sick of me. In the forest one must be strong to survive, and here I am crying like a helpless babe.'_ She thought sourly. With new determination, she forced herself to slow her breathing and stop the tears. A soothing hand was placed on her back and started to slowly run up and down. "Take your time Gina, when you're ready you can tell me." After hearing her friend's advice the let herself relax against Rune.

A few minutes of silence allowed Regina to collect her thoughts, which before were buzzing around her brain like bees. She takes a few more deep breaths to try to calm her still frayed emotions before starting.

_~Flashback~_

"REGINA!" The girl in question tried not to cringe at the tone in her mother's voice. 'This is not going to end well.' She thought, as she considered herself to be something of an "expert" when it came to one her mother's moods. Although that notion never failed to put a slight frown on her face. Unfortunately she did not have the chance to get rid of it before her mother swept into her room, much like a hurricane. Before Regina could even properly register what happened, she found herself facing the left and had an intense burning on the right side of her face. Tears edged her vision, but she valiantly fought them back. "What have I told you about frowning so much?! You will mar that face with wrinkles, then how will you ever get anywhere in this life you foolish child? Tell me, how will your damaged appearance give you the momentum you need to move up in this life?!"

Regina fought to not reply with a with a sarcastic remark as she bowed her head down. "I am sorry mother, I should have listened to you." Her mother sniffed at her comment, before glaring at her, "See that you remember that, you and I know that I am not a fan of repeating lessons." With that she turned and stalked out of Regina's room. After she was sure her mother was gone she released a shaky breath and grabbed her cloak. It wasn't the worst her mother had done but she was not going to stay and risk another encounter with her. On her way out of the house she noticed her father sitting in the drawing room reading. Sensing her presence he looked up from the tome and smiled fondly at her, his smile faltered slightly when he saw her red cheek. He stood up swiftly and strode across the room and gently cupped her face, she saw the sorrow and regret in his eyes. "I am so sorry Regina, she wasn't always this way." he says softly. She breaks eye contact and mumbles a response about going to the garden before rushing out of the house. Even though she feels guilty about leaving him like that, she can't bear to see him look at her like that.

_~End Flashback~_

After successfully recounting the events that took place Regina feels slightly better. She relaxes even further and waits for her companion's response.

Xxxxxx

She can hardly believe it, the Elders had agreed that she should be able to see the world and all it had to offer before she came of age! She could now freely visit Regina anytime she wished and stay as long as she pleased. Endless possibilities ran rampant through her brain at the moment. She could probably even reveal he true nature to Regina if she wanted. Not that the Elders actually said that, it was more of a matter of perspective she supposed. Her race was extremely enigmatic, for good reason but it did not sit well with her to hide something so important from someone who was becoming just as important, if not more so. She was aware that Regina was by no means a dull stone, she had caught her friend examining her many times when she thought she wasn't looking. Regina may have figured out what she was if given enough time, but why waste time when the answer could be give freely? With all if this in mind she set off to the grove in hopes of beating her friend there so she could properly gather her thoughts for the information she was about to give Regina. As she walked down the familiar path to the grove she tried to quell the feeling of nervousness, but as soon as she broke through the tree line all thoughts of the grand news vanished.

After pinpointing the origin of Regina's soft cries in the grove, she makes her way to her best friend. _'She's hurting, even though I would like to take care of the problem permanently..it is not an option at the moment. She needs me here.'_ It wasn't the first time thoughts of this nature had crossed her mind, _'Nor will it be the last...'_ shaking her head as if to clear her mind of the dark thoughts she sits down next to the weeping girl and takes her into her arms. She had noticed a few months ago that her presence had an almost immediate calming effect on the younger girl. Fortunately the observation held true today as well, holding in a sigh she starts to rub Regina's back in calming manner hoping to help set her mind at ease. She looks down to see the girls brow furrowed and has a feeling she knows where Regina's mind has taken her. A strong wave of protectiveness washes over her, and she brings the girl in closer. _'I need to know what has happened, but I must be cautious about how I go about it. I do not want her to shut me out.'_ After formulating a plan of approach, Rune makes the decision to suggest the younger girl should tell her in her own time. A decision that, not only paid off but also succeeded in pissing her off. She took her time to compose herself and reel in her anger._ 'What kind of mother would do that to their child!?'_"Regina, you..you don't blame yourself for what happened to you?" The girl's silence says it all, "Don't blame yourself. She's your mother she isn't supp-" "**I'M WEAK**!" after that outburst Rune's response died on her tongue.

Xxxxxx

She couldn't take it! Her father's look of guilt and pity along with Rune's rationalization were too much for her to handle. While shouting out her insecurities was not how she planned going about things, it seemed o have the desired effect on Rune. She stood up and stepped back effectively breaking physical contact, she looked into Rune's stormy grey eyes and took a moment to calm her racing heart. "I am weak, but I intend to change that. Can I trust you to help me?"  
She inquired, sounding vastly more confident than she was feeling at the moment. She watched as her friend got up slowly, brushing off some of the dirt on her trousers before stepping forward and placing a hand on her shoulder. "I will always choose to stand by you Regina." And in that moment the two friends knew that, no matter what those words would remain true.


	3. Chapter 3- Show Me the Way

**A/N**: So as you can see I have quite a bit of inspiration for this story, so I will try to update as soon as I am happy with a chapter I have written. I am aiming to make the chapters longer as Reginia gets older but for now they'll only be about 1000+ words. But I have a feeling this one will be for all the subscriptions guys. They make me smile like an idiot. Haha. Anyway on to the story!

-Enchanted Forrest, One Year Later-

A year has passed since Regina had decided to train herself under Rune's watchful eye. She had made great strides in her training, but it seemed as if her mother's powers were growing with each passing day. Rune suggested that it was because her mother was using dark magic at the cost of whatever was left of her soul. Regina was nearly fifteen summers now, and was starting to blossom into a beautiful woman, with a slim figure and mesmerizing curves. Rune was almost the opposite the muscles she had become more defined without being overly pronounced, she also gained a few more inches in height so the difference was more noticeable. The dynamic between the two had become more along the lines of sisterhood rather than friendship. They noticed the change but made no moves to change it, it felt natural, fated if you asked Rune. Another development was that Regina learned of her new sister's origins. She was what Rune called a half-ling, her mother was a dark elf and her father was a human. One of Regina's new favorite activities was learning about elven culture, her other was riding lessons that were instructed by her family's stable boy Daniel.

Xxxxxxx

Sweat was pouring from her brow she had to blink rapidly to keep the sweat from getting in her eyes. Her breathing was rapid but shallow as she called her magic up to the surface before sending it out in a burst of power. The boulder however barely showed any damage. Sighing in frustration she ran a hand through her hair, she looked towards her mentor who, much to her vexation, did not look up to meet her gaze but still continued to play on her pan flute. "Well?" she asked in exasperation. The tune that had been playing stopped briefly. "Again." and with that the tune resumed. Regina tried to reign in her anger but failed. "What?! That's it?! After all of the training you put me through I can barely damage a **boulder**! How am I supposed to stand up to my mother if I can't harm her?! This process would go much faster if you would agree to teach me **dark magic**!" She stood there, chest heaving from her rant and waited for Rune, she had stopped playing since she started yelling. She watches as Rune places her flute down on the grass and makes her way to the boulder, after she settles into a stance Regina knows all too well she sends out a powerful burst of magic that completely pulverizes the boulder that had been mocking her with its presence. Regina finds herself shocked into silence and feels slightly ashamed for her behavior towards her closest friend.

She hears footfalls approaching and looks into her friends eyes, they are practically ablaze with fury. She knows it was absolutely foolish to even entertain the thought that the huntress was keeping her back from her true potential. She knows that the process was going to be long but it has been a year, and she feels like at the rate she's going she will never be able to protect herself against her mother, much less take her on in a battle. _'Still, that is no excuse. I'm behaving like a spoiled child.'_ She thinks as she attempts to prepare herself for the verbal lashing she has earned.

Xxxxxxxx

_'The sun is out in force it seems, not a single cloud in the sky. Gina will absolutely love this practicing weather. Not too long ago she was complaining that civilized people don't train in freezing climates. Perhaps she'll enjoy blistering heat?'_ amused by her own thoughts Rune lets out a soft chuckle before settling herself under a shady tree and rummaging through her satchel. _'Where are you, you little snake in the grass? I know I put you in here somewh- HA! Found you.'_ she pulls out her beloved flute and leans back against the tree. She looks up to see Regina doing the breathing exercises she had taught her nearly a year ago._ 'Her progress is impressive, she has made great strides in these fast few months. But I fear that is not enough for her. This hunger of hers could cause trouble if I am not careful.'_ she pondered with growing concern. She brings the flute to her lips and begins to play a song she grew up hearing in the village. It always managed to help her find her center, and she was hoping it would have the same effect on her younger companion.

Rune watched the next few moments with great interest, but unfortunately the melody she had been playing was no help at all. _'All warriors have a song young one, it is just the matter of finding it.'_ the words of her mentor swirled around in her head as she battled against the frustration she was feeling. It had been a year! She had played a years worth of tunes with her enchanted flute and had nothing to show for it, she probably discovered the songs for the next three generations of her village! _'Perhaps I am going about this in the wrong way.'_ as the thought crosses her mind she starts a new rhythm, only to stop and instruct her pupil to try again. She resumes her playing but is shocked out of her tranquil state by Regina's outburst. She knows what it's like to feel like you haven't made any progress to your goal, and is about to tell her distressed friend exactly that. However, her empathetic mood is sapped from her as soon as those two words leave Regina's lips.

**_'Dark magic,'_** she thinks angrily _'is the reason I'm having to teach you this!'_ Rune places the flute on the ground beside her and rises, the song of her spirit ringing in her ears as she takes position in front of the boulder. Her magic rushes to the surface of her skin and is pushed outwards as it decimates the boulder. She whips around to face Regina, as angry as she is she takes quick but measured steps until there is only two strides distance between them. "That, was done by light magic. The **only** magic I think you should be exposed to." Rune states through gritted teeth. "I understand that you believe it is only fair to fight fire with fire, but all that way of thinking is going to cause is more destruction. But I will not allow you to lose your soul because of that monster barely disguised as a woman!" She takes a deep breath before closing the distance between them and cupping Regina's cheek. "You are my sister, maybe not in blood, but in spirit. I will protect you with my every breath. You must trust me, the price for that magic is too steep for any mortal to pay."

Xxxxxxx

To say she is relieved is an understatement, she thought for sure Rune was simply going to wash her hands of this situation and be done with it. She had no reason to stay. _'She is the only family I have other than Daddy. I cannot lose her.'_ with that notion in her head she asks, "Is there anything in elven culture that would make us sisters in their eyes?" she looks up and is greeted by the sight of Rune's smirking face. "There is, and I just so happen to know how to perform the ritual."  
Regina's cheeks are burning because she's smiling so big. "However, it requires several components, one of which is a full moon and others that I do not carry or I can find in my home. We will discuss this more later, our time is up and your presence will be missed if you stay any longer."

Regina can't help but feel slightly saddened at having to leave the grove, but that sadness is lessened by the fact that she will get to see Daniel. The mere thought of him causes a light blush to rise upon her cheeks. She has yet to tell Rune how she is starting to feel about him and feels slightly guilty. _'I know she'll be happy to hear it, but I just want him to myself...at least for a little while longer.'_ her heart skips a beat at the thought of being alone with him and her blush increases in intensity. As she breaks through the tree line into the estate's garden, she has just enough time to collect herself before her father comes to collect her for tea time. They chatted animatedly about books and other things on their way back to the house, taking their time though for Regina it seemed more like slow torture, she'd much rather get it over with. Because after tea comes Daniel..err..**riding lessons**. Yes, definitely riding lessons..with Daniel. As they neared the house, Regina made an effort to clear all thoughts of Daniel from her mind, some how she believed her mother would grow suspicious of her and send him away. As she crossed the threshold she had one thought _'If happiness had a place to die, it would be here.'_

_'Tea with mother isn't nearly as bad as it usually is'_ Regina thought happily. "Regina dear, I feel like you are spending, well let's be honest, wasting too much time in the gardens doing absolutely nothing. It is unbecoming of a lady to have such poor time management skills." Cora states with barely disguised distaste dripping from her tone. As Regina heard this her heart stopped and her mind started thinking of excuses to keep going to the gardens. _'I have to come up with something quickly, that time in the gardens is my only way to see Rune!'_ her mind screeches in panic. "Mother, I do not believe I am wasting time in the gardens. I have been observing how the seasons effect our soil. I found the perfect place to plant at tree. Gardening is always a skill a lady should have." Regina states slowly. Cora was pleased, many skills that help to manipulate people are akin to the skills one can acquire through gardening._ 'It just takes the right perspective of course.'_  
she thought pensively,_ 'yes, these skills will be put to good use once she is of age and with me there to help her, there is nothing that I-no that she can achieve.'_ Cora sits forward, "A tree? What kind of tree do you plan on cultivating?" Regina mentally breathes a sigh of relief before replying "An apple tree mother. I Have always been fond of apples."


	4. Chapter 4- The Journey: Part I

**A/N:** Thanks for all the support guys. You rock! I'm not sure how old Regina was when she tried to run off with Daniel so I'm taking a leap and guessing about 17? After the next couple chapters, there will be a major time skip to introduce the beginnings of the Evil Queen and her Champion (Still unsure of the title Rune will have). After that its smooth sailing to Storybrooke, The curse, and SwanQueen.

-Enchanted Forest, One Week Before the Full Moon-

She groaned in annoyance, _'Why do the ingredients with the simplest names always have to be the hardest to obtain? This is ridiculous!'_ The ingredient in question was root of Phintrale better known as Spirit Blood to humans, they were so dramatic for no reason other than to make things sound more exciting. Getting to the area where the plant was found was easy enough if you knew where to look, obtaining it was the tricky part. According to elven lore the roots were protected by three different beasts depending on the region the root was in, the root could not grow in the arid lands to the west near Agrabah, unfortunately just because there were different beasts did not mean that one was less deadly than the next. The northern herbs were protected by a creature known as the White Dragon, who's body is constructed of the bones of it's victims and also specializes in ambush tactics. But that is only if you don't freeze to death in the lake of ice surrounding the land. To the south the protector of the enchanted herbs is a necromancer, which wouldn't be so bad if a major battle hadn't taken place in those bogs. Not to mention all those who had attempted the very task she wished to carry out. The hoards of undead would tear her apart before she could mount a proper defense. And finally the lands that lay to the east were protected by a Wendigo, a fierce creature that was also an ambush predator and was known to eat its victims while they were still alive. That is, if the stories told around the bonfires in her village were to be believed.

Rune had been contemplating on which route to take for the past several days and the full moon was nearly upon them, she had been able to procure most of the elements needed for the ceremony through bargaining and some slight of hand. She saved this little expedition for last to give herself more time to think but now that the time for a decision has come she is still as lost as she was when she started._ 'I suppose I could ask my ancestors for guidance. They have yet to lead me down an unsavory path.'_ Rune barely has time to finish that thought before a scream broke through the tranquility of the forest. _'I could use some good karma right about now.'_ Rune mentally quipped before taking off in the direction of the person in peril. It didn't take long to find the location thanks to the near constant screams, the scene in front of her was a strange one, it seemed like a young girl had accidentally gotten too close to a mother bear's cubs causing mama bear to attempt to attack what she saw as a potential threat. During her retreat the young girl tripped on her cloak. The thing was so big it practically swallowed her whole, if she had seen it anywhere else Rune would have thought it was a red spirit of some sort. There was no time to waste, the bear was closing in on the child. Taking a deep breath she let out a fierce war cry that managed to halt the bear's advances. Swiveling its head in the direction of the noise the bear takes note of the new entity, one who poses more of a threat to her cubs than the one that smelt of fear. This other smelt of magic and home. "We mean you no harm, go now and care for your young. You are needed." Rune speaks sternly, she watches as the bear watches her silently before nodding-as much as a bear can nod- before heading off in the opposite direction. _'Being one with nature sure has its benefits'_ Rune thinks relieved that she got there in time. She looks to the young girl who is staring at her wide-eyed and in shock. _'Better help her get home, that red cloak will get her into more trouble than she can get out of.'_

Xxxxxxx

She basks in the feeling of freedom, the Sun beaming down on her, wind whipping across her face, and if she closes her eyes she can almost convince herself that she's flying. To day that this feeling is addictive is an understatement, it feels like she can outrun all of her problems if Bellerophon keeps running. She knows this is only a temporary fix for the sea of emotions rolling in the pit of her stomach, but out here none of that matters. Regina enjoys her blissful riding before she is sucked back into the harsh reality of life. As she dismounts and leads her steed to the stables she allows her mind to wander, a lot has happened in this short month she hasn't seen much of Rune since she has been in search of the ingredients needed to complete the soul bonding, but Rune still makes every effort to see her. Regina winces slightly at one such occurrence a few days prior to Rune's departure for the last herb.

_~Flashback~_

She was tense, she had been unable to get away from her mother who had decided to keep her company in the gardens until her riding lesson. Rune was leaving today and she had missed her only chance to say goodbye and wish her luck. Another worrisome fact was that this had not been the first time her mother accompanied her to the gardens, ever since she and Rune had planted the apple tree in the garden her mother's interest in her seemed to steadily increase. She was going to converse with Rune about it this afternoon but that plan fell through as soon as she saw her mother reach for her parasol. As she neared the stables she heard a shout followed by some other commotion. Fearing for Daniel's safety she increased her pace nearly sprinting the rest of the way to the stables. The spectacle that greeted her will forever be one of the most absurd things she's ever seen. Part of Rune's cloak was shredded and her hair was looking wilder than usual she had her arms crossed over her chest and was shooting daggers at Daniel who was being levitated upside down and had some how managed to loose his right boot in the process, not to mention his face was beginning to turn an alarming shade of red. "Rune! Put Daniel down this instant!" Regina shouted worried once again for his health. "As you wish," Rune says smoothly turning to face Regina as Daniel falls ungracefully to the ground. "you never stated I had to be gentle." Rune says shrugging as Regina glares at her. "That's not funny Rune, you could have hurt him." She states tersely as she brushes past her friend to help the object of her affections get to his feet. "I could have hurt him? He tried to stab me with a bloody pitchfork!  
As you can clearly see!" Rune remarks as she gestures to the torn cloak. "You startled me! You shouldn't have been in here in the first place, who are you? I've never seen you here before." Daniel states trying to recover from his bruised ego.

Rune snorts "It's a wonder you have any friends at all if that's how you treat people you don't know, trying to skewer them without having the common decency to ask their name first. Had you asked I would have gladly told you my name and the purpose of my presence." With nothing else to say Daniel offers up a glare instead of a response. Regina looks between the two as they have a silent battle of wills, she knows Rune will be the victor if she lets this continue so she decides to step in to save what's left of Daniel's pride. "Rune, enough." Her statement had the desired effect, but unwanted repercussions. The look of hurt and anger that was reflected in her sister's eyes was unexpected, _'I thought she would understand.'_ Regina thought, but what it was that Rune was supposed to understand alluded her. She saw the muscles in Rune's jaw flex a few times, "You weren't there, I didn't want to leave without bidding you farewell. So I thought I would surprise you at the stables. I'm sure his company will be more than enough for you during the next few days." And with that Rune took her leave.

_~End Flashback~_

Entering the stables Regina sighs, _'I should have gone after her, she deserves better than to be treated in such a manner.'_ Sensing her distress Beller gently nudges her with his nose. She smiles slightly and strokes him lovingly, too focused on her inner musings to hear the approaching footsteps. She starts slightly when she feels a hand on her elbow. She does not need to turn around too see who it is. The tingling in her skin gives him away every time. Slowly turning to face him she allows herself to be pulled into an embrace. Her heart races at the thought of being caught with him like this by her mother, nearly all thoughts disappear as Daniel tilts her head up and their eyes meet. _'I should apologize to her.'_ is the last thought she has as she feels the whole world melt away when his lips descend upon hers. Then there is nothing, nothing else but her, Daniel, and the love they share.

Xxxxxx

She'd been walking for a while now, the young girl nestled comfortably on her arms, bundled up in her cloak. "So, how far south is your cottage exactly Red?" _'At least now I know what region I will be heading after this little detour.'_ Rune considered silently. The child looked up at her "Red?" Rune smirked, "Well since you haven't introduced yourself I have to call you something, don't I?" Hearing this the girl blushed hotly at her forgetfulness. "Oh! well my name is-""Nope! It's too late for that now, you have a new name. A strong name." Rune cut in playfully. "It's a color." the youth deadpanned. At this Rune let out a bark of laughter. "That it is. You know, I like you. You've got a sharper wit than some of the adults I have to deal with." The newly christened girl smiled brightly at the compliment. "Thank you, Art." The name causes Rune to look down at the child questioningly only to be met with the younger girl's mischievous grin. "You failed to introduce yourself as well. It's only fair that I get to rename you." Red explained happily while failing to hold back her giggles. Rune laughs right along with her. _'This is going to be one enjoyable detour.'_ Rune thinks to herself happily.

After a few more miles the trees begin to thin out, and soon enough a cottage comes into view. At the sight of the home Rune notices that her small friend is now looking slightly sullen. Before she has a chance to ask the door to the cabin is flung open and an elderly looking woman hustles to meet them. "There you are!" the older woman exclaims, "You've had me worried sick!" The lady makes a move to take Red out of Rune's grasp but she takes a step back, putting the girl just out of reach. "Just what do you think you are doing?!" The strange woman shouts. "I saved her life not to long ago, do you really expect me to hand her off to the first person who acts like she knows her without a second thought? If so, you're terribly missinformed." Rune stated calmly. This answer seemed to pacify the elderly lady. "It's ok Art, she's my grandma." "Alright, if you're sure Red." Rune says as she slowly sets the girl down. The child in question giggles "Of course I'm sure silly, she's my family." Rune smirks and crouches down so that she and the girl are eye level, "Be good alright?"

This comment made the child scoff, "I'm always good. You..you'll come back won't you? You aren't going to forget about me, right?" Red asked cautiously. Red's bashfulness and uncertainty were quite endearing, "If there is time I will come and visit you on my way back home, but if there isn't I'll make sure to stop by another day. How does that sound?" Rune asked softly. The response she received was a squeal of joy and arms wrapped around her neck. She chuckled at the girl's enthusiasm and hugged her back. "I'll see you soon Red." She released the girl, who made her way to her grandmother's side. The older woman had been watching them with great curiosity, trying to comprehend why her granddaughter was so taken with this young woman. "When you come back, I'd like to talk to you Art." Rune felt her face heat up at the name the young girl had given her being spoken by someone else , she nodded her head in acquiescence, with one last wave she was off to the swamps. She had at least a day and a half's worth of traveling ahead of her.

-Enchanted Forest, Six Days Before the Full Moon-

She felt out of touch, her days didn't feel complete without seeing her best friend. And while Daniel was a lovely distraction he couldn't be with her all the time. Regina was grateful that Rune had the foresight to give her a sizable collection of books on elven culture, myths, philosophy and rituals before her departure. The concepts that she found in a philosophy book were astounding when she understood them, the ones she didn't quite get were no less profound they just had a lesser impact until she could ask Rune. Her favorite philosopher was the Shaman Urrick, he believed that every living creature possessed a soul and that because of this every living being had the potential for magic. Most of that magic was poured into a new being during the magic of creation. She knew that the Shamen had theories on dark magic but she was slightly afraid of what she would find in there. Knowing that Rune's views were shaped on these teachings, and she also had a feeling that what Rune had spoken on dark magic is what she heard as a child, not what she was taught when she was old enough to fully grasp the concept.

It is one of the main reasons she is in the garden reading pouring over a book on elven myths, the other reason is as usual her mother's suffocating company she is nearly of age, her fifteenth name day is in less than a month. She had a sinking feeling that her mother would rarely leave her side during that time. Lightly shaking her head Regina refocuses on the thick tome. She enjoys her peaceful reading until a shadow falls over her, snapping her head up to meet the newcomer, she is greeted by her mother's face. "I thought I'd join you after all darling," Cora explains. "What is it you have there?" queries Cora as she reaches for the book. _'My people are very illusive for a reason Regina, if any of our culture fell into the wrong hands the consequences could be devastating.'_ Rune's voce rings through her head as her mother pries the book from her hands. Her heart races as she watches her mother's eyes scan the page, but nearly stops when she hears her mother's voice, "Regina, I wouldn't waste my time trying to decipher elven literature. There is no way to translate it, believe me I have tried. I understand your curiosity, they are a fascinatingly powerful race, but their language was not meant for us." Cora states, practically growling out the last few words._ 'What? She can't read it? Rune must have enchanted the books, that sly fox!'_ Regina realized, feeling significantly more at ease in her mother's presence now that she knew."I am no longer in the mood to be outdoors, I will leave you to your curiosities." Cora stated sourly as she turned to head up to the estate. "Your lessons are in an hour, ladies are never late."

As she watched her mother's figure slowly disappear into the distance she let out a sigh of relief. "You could have told me you spelled the books Rune, I nearly died of fright because you decided to leave that bit out." Regina spoke to the wind childishly hoping that it would carry her message to her friend. She had read about the protectors of the magical herb in one of Rune's books the other night. She was terribly worried for her sister, but felt like she had no one to talk to, Daniel wasn't fond of Rune or her constant presence in her life. He believed that her was meant to be her protector, she smiled at that thought. _'He's so sweet.'_ she thought lovingly as she set off to the stables to pay him a visit.

-Unknown Location, Five Days Before the Full Moon-

A group of humans were spotted just outside our lands. Usually this was nothing of importance, but not only was it an unusually large group, but they were also armed to the teeth and appeared to be searching for something. This was the fact that unsettled him the most. He knew the flag that the band of mercenaries flew, and what they wanted. He was surprised it took as long as it did for them to show up. The situation was bad, the forest was expansive but if one knew what they were looking for the distance would mean nothing. Deron glared into the distance, his sister could be such a fool at times. And it appeared that the consequences for her foolishness may be paid by all. If the humans got any closer to their territory he'd have to alert the Battle Master, preparations would need to be made. For now though, he would keep a close eye on things. Hopefully the enchantments would hold; if not he would need to tread very carefully for that would mean that there was a traitor among them, that thought was probably the most disturbing of them all.

Xxxxxxx

The air had become increasingly humid the farther south she traveled, _'I should have bought a horse, hell even an ox would have been fine.'_ she gripes internally, "where would I even keep the damned beast?" she mumbles. A light breeze caresses her face as it seems to whisper her name, which makes her smile. _'Now who could be talking to me?'_ Rune ponders just as she reaches the perimeter of the swamp. According to legend, the roots are located directly in the middle of the glade. _'This should be easy enough.'_ She quips sarcastically before eyeing the trees _'hmm..let's get inventive.'_ She reaches into her satchel and pulls out her hunting knife and a dagger, she walks up to the tree and leans in to get a closer look at the bark. She stabs the bark experimentally, to her surprise the blade glides through the bark with relative ease. She can't stop the slow smirk forming on her face as she pulls out some twine from her bag. Rune feels slightly less on edge as she climbs up the trunk of the third tree she's leapt to. As soon as she reaches the proper height she pushed off the tree using her magic to help propel her to the next tree. _'This is going to take a while.'_ Rune held back a sigh, not daring to make any noise that could give away her position to the necromancer, she was making enough noise just breathing in addition to the soft thuds her blades made on impact.

She was nearly there, she could barely feel the light magic the plant was giving off but it was there. A mile away at most, if she needed to guess. Rune quickened her pace, the chill that had made its home in her spine wasn't the best omen one would want in a situation such as this. As she pushed ahead she felt the magic in the air crackle against her skin she could see the grotto where the herb would be found it was only a few meters away. As she reached one of the last trees her senses started screaming at her, without bothering to get into a better position on the tree she vaulted off dodging the burst of magic by a hair's breath. Her heart was racing as her eyes darted around, searching for the source of the attack. After minutes had passed with no sign of her attacker, Rune deemed it safe to resume her journey. She only had enough sunlight to make it out of the bog before dark, she didn't want to be anywhere near this place after the sun sank below the horizon. The enclosure was only a leap away, but the murky water below her seemed foreboding. Reminding herself that she did not have time to spare she pushed off with an extra surge of magic to ensure she landed in the hollowed ground. The necromancer was not allowed to set foot on the grounds surrounding the herb, it was an abomination and therefore unable to cross through the enchantments.**_ "You have come to us."_ **Rune jumped in surprise, looking for the source of the unearthly voice. _**"Do not fear us, you...you are different"**_ the voice stated slowly. "Yes, well it's not hearing voices in one's head isn't exactly common." Rune felt absolutely absurd, first she was hearing voices and now she was talking to herself.

_**"You sought us out. You wish to use our power. We must know why."** _The voice boomed. Rune winced at the volume, "What is it you wish to know?" she questioned cautiously. **_"You, who you are and what you will become."_ **Rune felt a white hot pain shoot through her skull and everything went black.


	5. Chapter 5- The Journey: Part II

**A/N:** So as you can see I had to split up the chapter because a lot happened and I didn't want to overwhelm you guys.  
Reviews are my crack so keep supplying! Lol. Don't do drugs. Oh, I have nothing against Daniel I just plan on highlighting the differences between him and Emma later on, so fear not there is a method to my madness! Anyway here is part two! Hope you enjoy!

-Enchanted Forest, Three Days Before the Full Moon-

Regina was worried, Rune should have been back by now. She was starting to regret asking her about it, and with no one to talk to about it she was growing more and more frustrated by the hour. Not even Daniel's company could distract her from the fact that if Rune got hurt, it would be her fault. She felt horrible, her mind was constantly torturing her by coming up with terrible scenarios where Rune getting wounded would be the best outcome each grisly scene more gruesome than the last. The only place that she could find some semblance of peace was when she was tending to Tomlan, she still found herself smiling at the fact that Rune had insisted they name their apple tree. She understood it now of course, at least partly, having read nearly all the books Rune had let her borrow. Names were sacred, the only other true gift a person could give aside from the gift of life. From what she had gathered through her interactions with Rune and her readings, elven children earned their names through their actions and were not named at birth like humans but on their tenth summer. Clearing her head of those wandering thoughts she makes her way to Tomlan, hoping to see her sister among his roots. It was hard not to feel disappointed when she arrived and did not hear the soft melody of Rune's flute or see her boots in the air as she lie on her stomach talking to the sapling. Regina had also picked up the habit and read to him quite often, especially if Rune was on her mind.

A silver lining was that her mother's interest in her seemed to have passed for the moment. The garden was hers again but that is not is she is headed. The grove was eerily silent, even though it had only been a few weeks she felt like she hadn't been here in years. A twig snaps in the distance and she turns to face the sound, the parallels of the situation are not lost on Regina. _'Maybe it's her! Of course she'd want to meet in the grove, its much closer and she's probably exhausted.'_ she considers with a bright smile on her face. A smile that quickly disappeared as she saw who stumbled through the brush. "Quite a lovely place you have here Regina." spoke a soothing voice. Regina looked at her father with slight apprehension, "What are you doing here Daddy?" "I noticed that you haven't been yourself lately. I was hoping to speak to you in the gardens," Henry replies while looking around "Imagine my surprise when I see you slip into the forest. But that Is not the point. I wanted to help you through whatever it is that's happening. You know you can always talk to me Regina, all I will ever want is your happiness." After hearing that, the dam breaks and Regina quickly closes the space between them and seeks comfort in her father's embrace and begins to tell him all that has happened with Rune. Henry is shocked and concerned at Regina's reaction, but listens carefully as his daughter tells him of her companion.

They have been in the grove for a while, Regina knows that much. She feels lighter now that she has told someone els of her concerns about Rune. She did leave out some details, such as Rune's hand in her training to defeat her mother or her true heritage, if her father finds out that information from her. Henry is glad he chose to sit down earlier, there was an abundant amount of information to process. He wasn't so sure about this 'Rune' character, he's have to ask Regina to arrange a meeting between them when she came back from her quest. Yes, he had heard Regina's doubts about her friend's return but from what Regina had told him he was positive that she would return and told her as much. He was glad that he was able to help her. Ever since Cora had become...well Cora, Regina was the only light in his life. As long as she was happy he believed his purpose in his life would be fulfilled. "Come Regina," Henry spoke softly as to not startle his child "We must get back home, our presence has surely been missed by now." Regina nodded, "I believe you are correct, and Daddy?"  
Henry looked down at his daughter "Yes sweetheart?" "Thank you."

Xxxxxxxx

Eyes opened blearily, every object had taken on a fuzzy appearance. Light was streaming in from somewhere above. Senses slowly return, she tries to stand but the earth tilts. Taking a handful of deep breaths she tries to find her center. The putrid stench of the air makes her gag, her eyes snap open in search of the source. She has to close her eyes just as quickly to try to cleanse her mind of the sight. She's not even in the cave anymore, she can see the road she veered off of to enter the swamp. She reopens her eyes slowly and turns back to the morbid scene, the necromancer is can hardly be classified as something that was once living. It looks more like a pile of entrails than a fierce protector of-_**'the roots!'**_ Rune whips her head around eyes darting frantically about for her satchel. Fighting back nausea she stands hoping to get a better view of her surroundings, a glint of reflected light catches her eye. Just at the shore lies her satchel, she practically sprints for it snatching it up and holding it close. She can feel the magic pulsing through the deer hide, with a sigh of relief she looks out onto the glade and nearly drops the bag. _'It looks like another war took place here.'_ she thinks in macabre like awe. The amount of destruction that had taken place was impressive, some trees had large chunks missing while others seem to have been uprooted and tossed around like a child's plaything. _'Maker, what happened here?'_ While the holes in her memory were concerning Rune needed to get back home, she had no way to tell how much time had passed and she still had a lot of ground to cover.

-Unknown Location, Two Days Before the Full Moon-

Deron slammed his fists on the table. "This is unacceptable! We have plenty of warriors here, I will not have my niece dragged into this!" The humans had gotten dangerously close to the border. "With all due respect sir, she was dragged into this the moment her mother took her and came here." Tobias replied. Deron glared at the Battle Master, "Yusef did not steal her, not to mention she was within her mother's womb when Yusef came back to the village. Do not act like such happenings are uncommon." Deron hissed. He glanced around the table, all the other Elders seemed to be trying to stay neutral. Tobias sighed, "I know we promised her time to explore but we will need her here, she is one of our best warriors. If the wards fail-" "**If** the wards fail then we have bigger problems than a band of misfits. We will have to deal with the traitor first, the humans will still have a three day march ahead of them. Plenty of time to root out who has forsaken us." Deron cut in forcefully. Tobias and the other Elders nodded, they did not envy the fate of the turncoat once they were discovered. As the others left the room to make preparations Tobias stayed behind. "She's not just **your** niece brother. It was her choice, Rune will be the next Battle Master. No need to resent me for it." Tobias did not wait for his brother's response as he swept out of the room having his own plans to put into action. Deron sighed and glanced worriedly at the charmed map on the table, his eyes landed on the now darkened spot on the map with dread. _'Someone managed to slip past the southern protector this does not bode well. The protectors aren't there for the herb but the creature that is drawn to it. The Manifold was a dangerous being that drives people to the very depths of madness if their mind is not strong enough. If they did have the mental fortitude to withstand the 'gift' the Manifold bestows on them then Maker help us.'_

-Enchanted Forest, 13 hours Before the Full Moon-

She was making excellent time, not enough that she could stop by and check in on Red but enough that she'd make it home by or just before nightfall. Which was ideal, she felt different somehow. Sometimes she would feel as if she was looking through someone else's eyes or that she was thinking thoughts that weren't hers. It would only last for a few moments almost long enough for her to pass it off as her imagination of her boredom. Almost. _'I will need to speak with Shaman Urrick about this, maybe there was something on this in one of my books, and that spirit or whatever it was in the cave I need to find information on that as well.'_ Looking up towards the sky she quickens her pace. _'Need to get home fast this elixir isn't going to brew itself. Although that would be a very useful spell to know.' Rune smirks, 'I'm sure they have an ancient incantation that can have similar effects. I'll keep an eye out for them.'_ As Rune comes out of her thoughts she is shocked to see that she is nearly at the village a little ways away from Regina's vast estate and her stomping grounds.

Xxxxxxxx

Regina felt a change in the air, not a ominous one but one that foretold a good omen. _'She's back!'_ her mind exclaimed with glee. Before she knew it she was racing to the stables to get Beller. _'She's probably going to stop by her home before heading to the grove; if I'm lucky I'll beat her there.'_ She thinks excitedly, not even hearing Daniel call after her as she takes off in the direction of the forest at a break neck speed. The closer she got to her friend's home the more impatient she became. _'Just over this hill.'_ In the distance behind she heard more hoof beats followed by the rider's urging to go faster. She risked a glance over her shoulder and saw Daniel coming up behind her. As he caught up to her side she looked over at him, "What do you think you're doing? You should be at the stables!" as her horse cleared the fallen tree just before Rune's home. Pulling on Beller's reigns he slowed to a trot down the familiar path, Daniel mirrored her actions "I can say the same for you, what were you thinking taking off like that? You could get hurt out here by yourself." Regina chuckled despite herself. "Nothing in these woods would dare harm me, Rune saw to that. You on the other hand should watch your back." She joked lightly. Daniel on the other hand did not seem amused.

As they reached A large group of trees Regina dismounted and tied Beller's reigns to a nearby tree branch, Daniel looked at her questioningly as she took a seat on a nearby boulder. She rolls her eyes at the unspoken question, "She's not here yet and I'm not going to just barge into her home with and uninvited guest." she states looking pointedly at him. Daniel scoffs, "She has you in the woods that are full of dangerous creatures and you're worrying about being rude?" he asks incredulously. "She wouldn't be Regina if she didn't, and the beasts of this forest are sworn to not only abstain from harming her, but to protect her if they are able without putting themselves at risk." comes the agitated response to his left. Regina turns so quickly her head spins slightly before tacking Rune to the ground in a tight hug. Rune lets out an amused laugh and holds onto her sister just as tightly. "I missed you." Regina mumbles into the crook of her sister's neck sighing at the comforting sent emanating from it. "I missed you too," Rune whispers as she presses a kiss to Regina's hair before attempting to stand up. "You know Gina, you're kind of squashing the herbs." she says lightly. Regina yelps and jumps off her friend before looking at her in wonder "You got them?" "Don't look so surprised, I told you I would." was the amused response.

-Enchanted Forest, 5 Hours Before the Full Moon-

Night had already fallen when Regina returned to Rune's home. It had taken a lot of convincing to get her to leave but in the end Regina knew Rune was right. Her day long disappearance would do more harm than good. _'Besides, it's not like I can complete the ritual with out you.'_ Rune argued, once again making her point. The hoot of Rune's owl, who was surprisingly unnamed. She circled around her a few times before landing on her shoulder and nuzzling the side of her head. She chuckled at the affectionate bird. Reaching up and stroking the golden feathers as she walks up to the boulder she sat on a few hours before, she takes a deep breath and walks through the enchantment. _'I don't think I'll ever get used to that sensation.'_ She thinks as goose bumps rise on her skin. She walks up to the winding staircase at the base of a rather large tree and huffs in annoyance. _'There is no reason for all these blighted stairs!'_ The structure itself is astounding, a manor in the trees if Regina was honest. When she enters the tree house, she sees Rune flitting about checking on the potion and tracing symbols onto the floor in a large circle. It was an amusing sight to be sure. Rune slowed down enough to spare a look at Regina. "You should name her, she seems quite taken with you I have to admit I'm jealous." Rune joked, not looking hurt in the slightest. "Just be sure to give her a strong name." "Why haven't you named her?" Regina queried. Rune simply shrugged and went back to transcribing the ancient symbols.

-Unknown Location, Two Hours Before the Full Moon-

Tobias sighed. Deron could complain all he wanted when Rune came home. She needed to be here. As strong as their forces were, they needed her. If he were to fall in this battle they would need a leader. The only other person that was even remotely qualified was Rune, because she was his only apprentice. Which is one thing he will never understand. It put them at a definite disadvantage but the "always wise" Council of Elders refused to allow him to take on another student, they believed that their unilateral thinking would always protect them. The word frustrating doesn't even come close. He had doubled patrols and extended the guards' shifts without costing them energy, but somehow he still felt like he was going into a lost battle. It was a childish notion, they had numbers and years of experience on their side. Hopefully this feeling would pass once Rune returned. _'Hopefully the raven will be swift enough.'_ he turned and went to bed, where he could leave the problems of this realm behind as he entered the realm of dreams.

-Enchanted Forest, 1 Hour Before the Full Moon-

She gazed into green eyes with nothing but determination on her face. "Careful, if you think too hard you might hurt yourself Gina." Rune teased, finally able to relax after hours of preparations. Regina glared "You're the one who thought I should name her! It's not as easy as you make it seem." Rune started to play her flute, looking pensive and Regina went back to staring at their winged friend. Suddenly a thought struck her, "You **have** named her haven't you?! You just never told me!" Regina shouted indignantly. The peaceful sound of music was replaced by Rune's boisterous laughter, "Do you really think I would be so cruel?" The look on her companion's face said yes. "Have you ever thought of asking for her name?" she crooned cheekily. Regina scoffed, "That's absolutely ludicrous." "And why is that love?" a bell like voice inquired. "Because animals can't tal-** OH MY GOD!"** By this point Rune is rolling on the floor with tears leaking from her eyes. "Hahahaha! You should have seen your face Gina! Hoo! That look you had!** HA!"** The rest of what she was saying was undistinguishable through her peals of laughter. "Don't mind her, she doesn't get out much. But like she was saying earlier I do have a name, Annalade, but feel free to call me Anne. How i ended up with the ability to speak was an accident Rune was trying out a spell and missed her intended target, next thing I know she can understand me." Anne informed her. "The thing is I can only seem to get it to work on birds. Must have to do with the pronunciation..." Rune trailed off getting a faraway look in her eyes. "Oi! Does this mean we can talk in front of the lass then?" Came a husky voice accompanied with the flapping of wings. Regina openly gaped at the new arrival. "What's this then? Never seen a phoenix? Poor human. Where was I? Right, name's Ginovio. Pleased to finally meet you."

-Enchanted Forest, 10 Minutes Before the Full Moon-

Regina had a wonderful time conversing with Rune and her enchanted birds. They had seen so much and were eager to share. She could see reflections of Rune's personality in both of them, which made for interesting conversation. The full moon was nearly at its peak and the atmosphere in the room had become deadly serious, her heart felt like is was beating out of her chest in anticipation. She wasn't worried, just excited, they said they were sisters but this would make it real, tangible and she couldn't wait. Rune was pouring the now cool concoction into a goblet, the last ingredient was the blood of each party spilled with a blessed dagger. All she had to do was slice open their palms and say the incantation that she memorized two weeks ago. No pressure.

-The Full Moon-

They both sat inside the circle cross legged looking at each other. "It's time." Anne proclaimed sagely. Rune nodded, and unsheathed the dagger she drew the edge of the blade across her hand, it was so sharp she hardly felt anything. "Regina, give me your hand." Regina did not hesitate or wince when the wound was made. Rune clasped their hands together and let the mixed blood drip into the goblet, who's contents started bubbling. "Maker, I present to you my chosen sister. She has proven herself worthy of this title and will always bear it proudly. By the sacrifice we have made, she is my blood and I hers and even in the days we spend in your realm we will be known as family. Her burdens are now mine to carry along side her. My actions weigh just as heavily on her mind as they do my own. We will be each other's strength, hope, and courage; Now, when our bones have become dust, and in the next life. We are family." When Rune finished she reached down and took a long swig of the potion, she winced and handed it off to Regina who finished it off. "Did it work? I don't feel any different." Regina spoke softly. Rune sighed, "I guess I need to do some more research, how's your hand?" Rune asks reaching for the injured hand, as soon as their skin touched it felt as if a current of lightning went through them. Rune smirked. "So I guess it worked after all."


	6. Chapter 6- Lost Along the Way

**A/N:**This chapter is a pivitol moment for Rune's character and how she changes. Like Regina she becomes darker, also some of the questions regarding her encounter with the Manifold and the resulting memory loss will be answered. She becomes a well known "villain" but this is a completely different take on their origin. (And gender). If you can guess who it is before the big reveal you get a gold star! Lol. Unfortunately after this chapter Rune's darker side will come out to play, and we will only see glimpses of optimistic care-free happy Rune. Warning: Things get dark and somewhat graphic, you've been warned.  
HAPPY NEW YEAR! :D

-Enchanted Forest, Two days After the Full Moon-

Rune had been acting strangely as of late, sometimes she would get intense headaches out of nowhere and her eyes would glaze over while she was talking and she's say something that had nothing to do with the subject at hand. Then of course there was the memory loss. Regina had learned yesterday that Rune had remember nothing after speaking to the disembodied voice in the cavern near the roots, she couldn't even remember the entire conversation. Somehow Regina knew that the events were connected. She hadn't spoken to Rune about her theory, but she could guess that her sister had come to the same conclusion. **"BOO!"** said a voice just beside her ear. Regina screeched and jumped up, she turned to face her trickster of a sister. "Aw, no need to be frightened Gina, its only us." Rune's chuckles mingled Ginovio's loud guffaws, "Aye lass, you're a mite jumpy this afternoon." He added. Regina rolled her eyes at the duo, before glancing at the bird perched on Rune's shoulder "I would have preferred if Anne would have come in your stead." Regina stated in mock seriousness fighting hard to keep the smile off her face. Ginovio let out an indignant squawk, but before he could reply an unwelcome voice joined in.

"I thought I heard an angel." Daniel says smoothly. Shooting Regina a dashing smile that made her heart flutter. Ginovio rolled his eyes while Rune scoffed at his poor attempt at being suave. "Don't you know it's rude to show up uninvited?" She asked, already thoroughly annoyed at his constant hovering over Regina. _'I will need to speak to her about that.'_ she mentally decided. Daniel shot her his best glare, to his dismay she looked unaffected, "That's entertaining a Child of the Forest trying to teach a civilized person manners." Daniel goaded. It was a trap, she knew it was a trap, he knew it was a trap, hell she suspected Regina knew it was a trap. "I'm more educated than you could ever hope to be, I earned my name yours was freely given. So do not question me on civility, boy. Or I will gladly show you how clueless you truly are." The level of calm that Rune had applied with shocked him, but it was the look in her eyes that rendered him speechless. He was positive those eyes would haunt his nightmares for the rest of his days. Regina was once again ready to step in again for the sake of her love's pride, the move not going unnoticed by neither Daniel nor Rune, before Regina could say anything however a loud squawking was heard. The group looked up in time to see a raven swoop down and land on Rune's now outstretched arm. Grabbing the scroll tied to the winged beast's leg and unfurling it, she began to read, her gut churning with every word. She crumbled up the letter in her closed fist, "Ginovio, accompany the raven back to the village and tell Tobias that he shall have my aid, I will gather Anne some supplies and find a stag to ride." Ginovio nods and takes off, the raven quickly following suit. She looks up at Regina, "I must go, something has happened. I will be back." She sprints to her home not even giving the young girl a chance to question her. There was no time, she was needed as soon as possible.

-Unknown Location, Two Days After the Full Moon-

They all listened to the scouts report in disbelief, the humans had broken through the wards not only that but their original numbers had been underestimated. They now only had a ten man advantage. " Is there anything else we need to know? Anything at all?" Tobias asked the frightened young man. "well, there is one more thing sir...the leader, or the man who appears to be, he is calling for your sister's capture." Tobias growled and Deron stood up from his seat. He turned sharply to Tobias "Double the guards! If they hit, they're going to hit hard. We need to be ready." The Battle Master nodded. "We need to find this traitor, I want all of the ward keepers ready for interrogation. I will make sure they bleed for this!" The council nodded and retreated to their respective tasks. "Rune should be here before their forces reach the village. I suggest we evacuate the civilians just in case they breech the walls." Tobias proclaimed. "We are not evacuating. The walls will hold. There is no need to inconvenience or frighten our people unnecessarily." Deron replied with practiced ease. "There is a betrayer still loose in the village and you still think the walls will hold?! Are you even listening to yourself brother? Better our people be a tad frightened than slaughtered in the streets because of your false bravado in the face of this looming threat!" the Battle Master shouted angrily, shocked at his response.

Deron's head snapped up from the map of the lands, his face burning with anger. "You forget your place **Battle Master**," he growled not bothering to hide the disdain in his voice "**I** am the High Ruler, I will take your council when it is needed. It is not needed. I am willing to overlook this indiscretion, so long as you leave my sight before I consider you a suspect for the treason that has been committed!" Deron snarled. Tobias clenched and unclenched his fists. He strode to the door and opened it before glancing at Deron over his shoulder "Remember brother, pride comes just before the fall. Let us hope that our people do not pay the price for your hubris." the slamming door was the only thing that saved him from the energy burst shot at his retreating form.

Xxxxxx

They had questioned all the wards keepers and had even moved on to their apprentices, the interrogations were fruitless and the human forces drew closer with each passing minute. He rubbed his temples in frustration, Rune would be here on the morrow. Just after sunrise he suspected. At least a day and a half ahead of their adversaries, which gave them ample time to prepare. Tobias turned to look out the window and observe the happenings of the streets, even though night had fallen they were still abuzz with activity. The next naming ceremony was in a few moons, it was personally his favorite celebration. The looks of awe on each youngling's face when they hear their name for the first time was something he would never tire of. He chuckled as he recalled his niece's face after hearing hers. Her love of the past heritage and spells made her name the easiest to choose. He was so lost in his memories of Rune that he failed to see the moonlight glint off of a blade just before it plunged into his back and out of his chest. He coughed up blood and turned to face his assassin, his eyes widened in shock. "Why...?" he managed to choke out. "Simple uncle, with you out of the way we can sack the village unimpeded." came the proud response. Tobias' last thoughts were on Rune, _'She will kill you, and I can promise it won't be an easy death.'_ and though he was surprised there was no light he peacefully slipped into the void to meet the Maker.

Xxxxxx

She needed to go faster, the stag was swift but the acrid smell of smoke was burning her lungs. _'Tobias said they were at least three days away! What happened?!'_ as she followed the beaten path to her village she heard gut wrenching screams and metal clashing against metal. As she neared the gate she saw something that made her blood run cold, hanging from the gate is her uncle's lifeless body. A scream rips itself from her throat as she dismounts the buck and glances up at him. Tears cloud her vision but she pushes them back, she would mourn him properly later. She unsheathed her short blade and cuts the rope suspending him, she winces as his body hits the ground, pulling him off to the side so none of the fleeing people would trample him. She fights back another strong wave of tears as she takes one last look at the man who was the closest thing she had to a father and heads inside. She was completely unprepared for what she witnessed inside the gates of her village. Blood had run so freely in the streets that the dirt was replaced with mud. Bodies were lying everywhere, men, women, even the children were not spared. She knew these people, broke bread with them, played in the forest with the children. She didn't realize she was shaking until she looked down at her hands. **_'They will pay.'_** Rune's mind didn't even register that those weren't her thoughts. All she felt was anger, loud cheers pulled her attention from the storm of maliciousness brewing in her mind. Following the sounds she found herself at the gallows, there was one person that had noose around their neck and a bag over their head. She noticed a man impatiently watiting for something. She climbed up the side of a house as quickly as possible to get a better vantage point. More cheers erupted and she saw another bagged figure being forced up the stairs to join the first. _'I have to save them!'_ She started to look for away to get closer without giving herself away.

"Gentleman, I would like to thank you for being with me today. Almost eighteen summers ago something very precious was taken from me. Something that this harlot stole!" The man announced while pointing at the first figure, resounding noises of disapproval filled the air. "Yes I know, she not only stole from me but you! She took my heir in the middle of the night without a trace." The already rowdy crowd became significantly more violent. "Would you like to see the face of this thief?!" the cheers that followed were an obvious answer. "Here she is!" He shouted while pulling the bag away from her face. Rune was close enough to see who the intended victim was...her world stopped. _'Mother!'_ as if hearing her thoughts Yusef raised her head and looked directly at her.

Xxxxxx

Yusef had done many things in her century of life, many ill advised choices, numerous mistakes but nothing that she would ever regret. It had made her who she was, flaws and all. It had also given her a beautiful and loving daughter. To her personally, Rune was without a doubt the one thing she got right. To have no regrets is how she believed one should leave this world. And until now that was how she was to leave. Until Mark lifted the bag that shielded her face from the crowd. She squinted at the sunlight hoping to look at the clouds one last time when her eyes caught movement along a rooftop. She prayed that it was just a hallucination, but somehow she just knew she was really looking at her daughter. Her heart clenched, she wanted to shout at her to run, to not do anything rash, to live, to turn away and cover her ears. Tears streamed down her cheeks at everything she would miss. Rune's first love, following in Tobias' footsteps and becoming the Battle Master, Rune's Bonding Ceremony, holding her grandchildren. The one thing she would regret was not being able to watch her child grow up._ 'Look away honey, **please** look away!'_ she mentally urged she heard Mark pull the leaver and saw wide grey eyes looking at her, then there was nothing.

Xxxxx

She was numb. Deaf to all the cheers as she watched her father end her mother's life she felt something inside her break. _**'He is no father of ours!'**_ another voice boomed angrily in her consciousness. "Bravo!" a familiar voice said joyously. Rune was snapped out of her stupor as she watched her cousin glide across the platform. _'Akeem? What are you doing?'_the entity taking residence in her mind offered nothing up in explanation. She watched as he pulled off the bag of the other figure's head revealing her mother's eldest brother Deron. "Father how lovely of you to join us!" Akeem said positively beaming. "What is the meaning of this?! Akeem what have you done!?" Deron bellowed. "I believe this is called an extermination, I had Mark here be sure to kill every last citizen. And you have yourself to thank for that. I knew you wouldn't listen to Uncle Tobias but I had to kill him before he could go against your wishes and evacuate the village." He laughed hysterically, clearly pleased with himself "You played right into my hand! It was so amusing to see you flounder about searching for the obvious rather than truly thinking." "Why are you doing this? We are your family!" Deron cried, clearly distraught. "Ha! Family?! I have no need for family. All I want is power, Mark will help me obtain it. But you dear father are in the way!" Akeem shouted as he pulled the lever, not even allowing his father time to prepare to enter the great void.

Hearing Akeem's reasons caused the storm of hatred and wrath to breech the surface. _**'Light magic will not allow us to inflict the desired amount of destruction.'**_ the other whispered. Rune's magic crackled violently along her skin._ 'After today, I will no longer be able to wield light magic'_ Rune thought forlornly. _'But you are correct, and I will adjust accordingly.'_ A dark chuckle echoed in her mind._** 'So, you recall our encounter with the necromancer then?'**_ _'Yes, but first let us focus the task at hand. Our people must be avenged.'_when she received no response she jumped up into the air using her magic as a boost, before forming a barrier of magic as she picked up momentum in free fall. The shocked screams of the men beneath her rang in her ears as she effectively crushed them in her landing. She was able to wipe out a fraction of their forces before they realized they were under attack. All the time reading spell books paid off as she was able to decimate their group with an amalgam of different hexes ranging from evisceration to mind shredding, one by one they fell. Her father stayed behind to fight with his men. Akeem on the other hand fled the first chance he could.

Xxxxxx

By the time night had fallen, so had the last foot soldier that worked for her father. It had taken all night to gather all the kindling and bodies of her people, but she was able to create a funeral pyre for all of them. Her mother and Tobias holding places of honor, and dawn was beginning to break. She looked to the middle of the pyre and lifted the silencing spell off of the man tied to the stake. "All these people died screaming at the hands of you and your men, your men died much the same way by mine. I believe it is only fair for my people to be put to rest hearing yours." The man yelled and pleaded for her to stop, to be a better person and be merciful. She sneered and tossed her torch onto the oil soaked wood and watched the flames start to dance. A part of her wanted to join the rest of her family, but she couldn't. **_'He escaped. He must pay for what he's done.'_** the other demanded. _'He will pay. I will chase him in this life and the others if I have to. But he will pay dearly for what he has done.'_ she turned and left the village, there was nothing for her there. The only thing she had to remind her of her people was her mother's necklace which now had Tobias' Battle Master ring hanging on its chain. Anne landed on her shoulder but said nothing. _'What was there to say?'_ she asked herself as she sadly looked at her mistress. Up above them Ginovio cried out his pain in song. Somehow expressing how they all felt.

-Enchanted Forest, Two Days Later-

Granny had seen many things on her doorstep in her life, but the unconscious body of the stranger that had saved her granddaughter was not on that list. Until now. Hearing that child's scream as she opened the door to play outside nearly gave her a heart attack, quickly followed by another near miss when see saw the source of the young girl's distress. She hauled 'Art' inside and started to clean her up, looking for the source of all the blood. She was unable to tell if she should be relieved or concerned that the girl was relatively uninjured save for a rather deep gash down her side. Red, as she insisted to be called now, held her guardian's hand the whole time refusing to leave Art's side. _'I will most definitely be having a chat with her when she comes to. And learn her real name.'_ Granny thought as she checked in on her patient and to take her grandchild to bed, only to see her curled up on Art's uninjured side fast asleep. Rolling her eyes she checked the bandages and headed to bed. Hopefully their guest will be willing to join the land of the consciousness by morning. She was looking forward to the younger woman's explanation for all of this; she was however debating on if she should tell Art of her suspicions. In the end she chose not to, it would be much more entertaining to watch them figure it out on their own. Looking forward to watching both girls interact with each other when the time came, put a smile on Granny's face as she drifted off into a dreamless sleep.


	7. Chapter 7- Something to Hold

**A/N:** Hey there! Thanks for all the new follows, they are very much appreciated! As are the reviews. So that last chapter was pretty Rune centric and that was for character building. This chapter will also have some more character building.  
Regina will return this chapter. As will Daniel. The road ahead has started to take a dark turn. You have been warned.

**Disclaimer:** As a reminder I don't own anything. Excpet Rune and her enchanted birds. They are mine.

-Enchanted Forest, The Next day-

She was stuffing some kind of plant hurriedly into her satchel. Looking around constantly, when she decided she had gathered enough she latched the flap shut. Standing up as quickly as possible she strides across the room. As she leaves what she can now tell is a cave of some sort she looks around. She's looking for someone, magic is so thick in the air that she is worried she may choke on it. Her surroundings are deathly silent. It feels as if the world is holding its breath, for what's about to happen next. The silence is shattered by a splash of water, she turns around and sees a figure rising out of the water. The necromancer's appearance is ghastly to say the least, her long hair full of sludge and a mess of tangles, the dress she was wearing had started to rot due to exposure, and her skin was a sickly pasty grey that seemed to be sagging off her body and had large fissures in others. The woman looked like death, and could have been mistaken for a corpse if it wasn't for the magic coming from her. The atmosphere shifted, the necromancer had called her legion. She got into position a smirk settling itself on her face. "I suppose asking for safe passage would be out of the question?" she joked. The screams of people long past were her answer. "I never liked doing things the easy way." she shrugged as the first of the undead leapt at her.

Xxxxxx

Rune woke with a jolt and moved to sit up but quickly regretted the action immediately when her side burned in protest. She hissed in pain and remained laying down, trying to take in as much as she could from her position. _'How did I get here?'_ **_'Obviously we walked here, where ever here is.'_** came the unusually mellow response. Figuring now was a good time as any Rune decided to question the voice._ 'What are you exactly?' **'I am you. Your strength as well as your curse.'**_ This was not the answer that Rune was expecting. _'What? How are you me? That makes no sense!' **'It won't until you accept it. Until then I will not be viewed as a gift. When the time arrives you will understand.' **'So you are not bothered that I will come to think you are a curse?'_ The voice chuckled **_'We wouldn't be who we are if we saw it any other way.__' _**_'Do you have a name?'_ **_'Since Rune is already taken, I am open to suggestions. Make is something with meaning'_** Rune didn't respond already cycling through names. _'Willow.'_ **_'That was mother's name for us..you are certain?'_** _'Yes, if what you say is true and you are me she would get her wish of me carrying that name.' **'I am honored.'**_ And with that Willow retreated into the darkness of her mind. Not a moment too soon, as a hyper child burst through the door her red cloak billowing behind her like a cape. _'Well that's one question answered.'_ Rune thought. "You're awake!" Red shouted, positively ecstatic that her friend was alight. "So nice of you to finally join us." Granny quipped as she helped Rune sit up, "I said I'd pay you visit sometime." Rune replied. "Yes, and as I recall you and I have a lot to talk about." She nodded at Granny's no nonsense tone. "Granny says that you can stay for breakfast Artie!" Red chirped while sitting next to her. Rune raised an eyebrow at the name change but didn't object to it.

Red had somehow convinced Granny that her Artie was just fine, or at least well enough to play some games with her outside. As they left the house hide-and-seek, which was one of Rune's favorite games as a child. Granny watched on from the porch, it was really quite amusing to watch an injured person try to hobble away in time to hide effectively, or be chased by a hyperactive child of eight. She had to admit watching the duo play their game was almost as fun as the pair was having themselves. Rune was grateful for the distraction her mind seemed to be slightly masochistic because it wanted to keep replaying her mother's death anytime she closed her eyes. And Red's adorable antics were a welcome diversion to the growing darkness. Even Willow seemed to be fond of the girl. Red was happy her friend was feeling better, she had been so worried when she saw Granny drag her into the house, she was old enough to know what blood was and the fact that Art was covered in it did not sit well with her. She was glad Art had kept her promise and had come to see her. _'Maybe she will stay longer this time.'_ Red thought hopefully. Being around Art made her feel warm and she liked being warm. So naturally she liked being around Art. They played until Red was exhausted, Rune was sore, and staying for breakfast turned into staying for lunch by the time Granny called them back into the cabin.

After lunch Granny changed Rune's bandages, she used this time to begin her inquisition. _'Might as well start off simple then move on to the bigger issues.'_ With her plan of attack made up she asked softly "So I'm assuming Art nor Artie are your real name. May I know what it is?" "Rune..my..they named me Rune." was the broken reply she received, Granny had an inkling it was connected with the state the girl had shown up in. "Rune, it fits you." "I would hope so, I earned it." _'Another short reply, something definitely happened to her'_ Granny attempted more conversation with fervor. "How old are you?" "I will be eighteen summers in a few moons. It would put me more at ease if you spoke what was truly on your mind." Sighing Granny nodded. "Why aren't you receiving treatment in your village?" Rune went stiff. "No need to distress, I have seen my fair share of half-lings in my life time." Rune gripped the table so hard it cracked. "I have no village. As of yesterday I am the last of my people. The only true member of my tribe with the magic of creation still flowing freely." Granny was afraid to ask what happened to cause such a horrid event. But Rune continued unbidden "We were betrayed. He was my blood, and because of him I-I watched my mother parish and recovered my mentor's body." Granny's heart broke for the girl, to be the only one left to mourn the loss of an entire village was more than any soul should have to bear. Granny gathered the broken soul in her arms, Rune's shoulders started to shake as hot tears poured out of her eyes. "I couldn't save them." was all she said over and over as if it were a twisted prayer. The door creaked open and another body joined in the comforting embrace, Rune clung to the younger girl for dear life and Red returned the embrace just as fiercely. Despite their protests Rune departed that evening with promises of returning soon and as they watched her disappear into the brush Granny hoped she did so in better shape than how she left.

Xxxxxx

Something had most definitely happened. Daniel had tried to tell her to forget about it but the look on Rune's face after she read the letter was keeping her on edge. This resulted in their first fight. She intended to patch things up with him as soon as Rune came home safely. _'She certainly will have **a lot** to answer to.'_ Regina internally grumbled. Rustling bushes drew her out of her internal examination of recent events. To watch Daniel tumble out of them, she stands up swiftly and walks over to him. "Daniel what are you doing here? You have to go." "I followed you here, you find the most amazing places." Daniel says paying no attention to Regina's order. He moves to step further into the grove but Regina blocks his path. "I'm serious Daniel you cannot be here. This place is special" Daniel snorted at the reverence in her tone. "Look Regina, I came to apologize. Won't you let me do that?" he asked sweetly. "Yes, I would love that, just not here." The smile that started to form on his face instantly dropped when she finished her sentence. He moved faster than Regina could anticipate and strode up to the tree in the center of the grove. He then started to jump up and down, "See? Nothing bad is going to happen." as his feet touched the ground they slid under him and he landed face first in the grass. "I would have listened to Gina. You aren't welcome here. Now get out." Rune growled. Regina hadn't even heard her enter the grove, but what shocked her was her sister's appearance if the dark circle's around her eyes were any indication they had a long talk ahead of them.

Daniel was furious, Rune's constant presence was always taking up his time with Regina. He shouldn't have to compete with a barbarian for Regina's attention, yet that's what he always finds himself doing. The only time he could get a reprieve is when Rune goes off on another one of her quests._ 'Couldn't have been much of a quest if her "aid" was only needed for about a week; Ah yes, let's start there.'_ Daniel smirked. "I see you have returned already. Back before we even had a chance to properly miss your presence. Why is that?" Rune tensed, "You do not know what you are speaking of. I would suggest you stop while I am feeling forgiving." "**Ha!** And why should I? Your aid not quite up to snuff?" Rune had started shaking and her hands were balled up so tight that blood was dripping down onto the grass. Regina was worried, Rune's appearance had started to change slightly, her hair was getting lighter in places and her ears started to take on a more elf like appearance. Daniel noticed the shaking and mistook it for something else. "I shouldn't be surprised that you failed, but I'm sure you tried your very best." Before he could even laugh at his own sarcasm, Daniel found himself against a tree fighting to bring air into his lungs. Burning silver eyes bored into him, as sharp nails bit into the sensitive flesh of his neck. Regina was in shock, _'My God, what has happened to her?!'_ Quickly regaining her senses why sprints over to the pair. The look of murder in Rune's eyes and deadly snarl that revealed razor sharp incisors and canines sent a shiver down her spine. Regina shook off the feeling and placed her hand on Rune's wrist. The touch seemed to bring Rune back from where ever she had gone. Rune released her grip on Daniel who immediately started gasping while trying to clear the spots from his vision.

Regina went to help Daniel up and take him home. She shot Rune a pleading look that begged her to stay, Rune found herself shrugging noncommitally. Once she could no longer hear the footfalls of her sister and...that man, she climbed up the tree and sat on one it's branches, completely hidden away from the world. She reached for the medallion and ring hanging from her necklace she gripped both in her fist as she wished for guidance. _**'I told you I would be seen as a curse.'**_ Sighing she let go of the charms._ 'What was that?'_ **_'I took control of our body, he was taunting and our anger got the best of us.'_** _'Will that happen every time?'_ **_'No, I can take over anytime I please; It's just easier when you're angry.'_** _'There has to be a way to suppress it somehow, we nearly killed him.' **'There might be away, I would ask that you allow me some free time when we find one. I'm sure it will get cramped in here'**_ Willow chuckled. _'I'll be sure to think less.'_ a scoff was the only answer she received. Smiling sadly she took out her flute and began to play. Not the happy tunes that once flowed freely with the wind, now she plays the songs of loss and mourning. She knows she will have to tell Regina everything, even about Willow and her mother, she would apologize to Daniel if that's what Regina wanted. She just hoped she would understand.

Xxxxxx

Regina sat ramrod straight in shock. Rune had sat her down and asked her to save her questions and comments until the end of her monologue. Half way through the tears she had held back flowed down her cheeks. The last few words she spoke flying around in her head. _'You are the only family I have left Gina. I cannot loose you.'_ On her way back from dropping Daniel off, she had planned to confront Rune about her disappearance and her violence towards Daniel upon her return. What happened was uncalled for, she nearly killed him over a conversation! As she stormed into the clearing her ears picked up on a deep slow melody that cut across the air. Just hearing it made her heart want to shatter in her chest. So instead of yelling she asked if they could talk. Which is how she found herself in this position. With the information Rune just gave her, she understood the violent reaction. She couldn't deny that she would have the same reaction if someone goaded her if she had watched her father or Rune die. Regina cleared her throat,_ 'I don't even know where to begin.'_

Rune sat nervously awaiting Regina's reaction. "So what happened with Daniel earlier was Willow?" Rune nodded slowly. "How is that even possible? You didn't see what happened, it was like you were a completely different person, I hardly recognized you." Rune felt a nudging on the edge of her consciousness and allowed herself to be pushed back _'Don't hurt her.'_ she pleaded. _**'She is just as important to me, I would never harm her.'**_ was Willow's stern reply. Regina tried not to show her apprehension but failed, glowing silver eyes met hers she felt herself relax slightly. "No need to be afraid, I won't harm you." Willow's voice had a huskier timbre to it Regina noted. "Where did Rune go?" she asked worried for her sister. Willow smirked and tapped her temple, "She's fine." She declared answering Regina's next question. "Where did you come from?" Regina asked trying to recall if anything like this in the books Rune had lent her. Willow seemed to ponder the question for a beat before replying "I am a gift; Bestowed upon the worthy. A blight if given to the tainted. Where I hail from, is the darkest place of their soul, awakened by the call of the Manifold. Rune has been deemed worthy but the call came too early, the process is not gentle and as a result she splintered." Regina nodded, "Was..was it you who killed all those men? The mercenaries." Willow shook her head, "Maybe. Perhaps about half? So much was happening, I'm not entirely sure. It was different with the necromancer."

_~Flashback~ _

She was having way too much fun as she cut down another reanimated corpse. A powerful burst of magic tore through two more bodies, she whipped around in search of the woman causing this. She spotted her in one of the trees above,**_ 'Probably for a more strategic view.'_** She concluded. Charging up a bolt of dark magic she aimed at the necromancer and loosed the magic. The woman moved but not fast enough, for she was now missing a sizable chunk of her side. This caused the necromancer to pause but appeared to be otherwise unaffected. This development caused her to growl in frustration as she batted another assailant back. She focused her magic on a nearby tree and uproot it, using it to crush the growing numbers to her right. She then proceeded to hurl it at the animator. She smirked at the sickening crunch of bones on impact. The bodies around paused in there assault but did not drop, she frowned and made her way through the swamp in search of where the body had landed determined to finish the battle.

_~End Flashback~_

While Willow was caught up in her reverie, Regina thought on what she had been told. If what Willow said was true then she was truly nothing more than a personification of Rune's darkest urges and desires. Though she was still unnerved by these revelations she knew that it changed nothing. Rune was still her sister, and she would help her through this dark time. She would prove to her that she was not alone. As she reached over and grasped Willow's hand she knew that they would make every effort to find a solution to what has happened. They had a lot for research and ground to cover, as Willow did not know much about the being that had given her life. Just a name and the knowledge that she was one of the few successes out of countless attempts to "reward" the worthy. Because of which Regina supposed is why it was banished to the protected regions where the Phintrale could grow and would be protected. Even though these complications would make thing difficult Regina was not worried in the slightest for their relationship. They were each other's strengths. She would be there for Rune as she dealt with the deaths of her people and avenged them. Just as Rune had sworn to protect her and help her defeat her mother._'We're in this together.'_ she thought resolutely as she watched Willow's body fade and was replaced with Rune's familiar form. They would endure. They had no other choice.


	8. Chapter 8- Ashes to Ashes

**A/N:** We have reached 88 miles per hour! It's off to the future! Lol. If you get that reference you rock. Anyway yes indeed its time, for a time skip! Not too far ahead for now, but some life changing events take place here. Emma will show up in two more chapters, so the wait is nearly over! HOORAY! Sorry it took so long. I needed a place to properly introduce her.

-Enchanted Forest, Two Years Later-

It had been a productive but dark two years. Regina and Rune had managed to find an elixir that suppressed Willow's ability to overtake Rune's body. There was still room for improvement however, so Rune was constantly brewing better and more effective potions. She now always had the flask Regina had given her on her person. But even with the discovery of the elixir Rune's personality continued to darken. Despite this however her visits to Granny's cabin did not cease. Regina and Daniel had fallen deeper in love as time had passed, she was always thinking about running away with him and getting married. It would be hard to leave her father behind but she was sure Rune would make an effort to visit. Cora's interest in Regina's life sky rocketed once she was of age. And thanks to Rune's insistence that she keep training, Regina was able to hold her own when it came to her mother's "lessons".

Xxxxxx

Cora was worried about Regina's rebellion, knowing an outside force was the cause. Try as she might she can't figure who it was. It wasn't her coward of a husband, nor was it the pathetic stable boy. She'd been terrorizing the servants for months so she knew they wouldn't dare converse with any of her family in a familiar manner. _'No matter,'_ she spat internally, _'That girl is bound to slip up some time, and when she does, that interloper will pay!' _She had decided that her daughter was not taking advantage of her opportunities, just recently she had heard of a King seeking a new bride. And if the words of peasants were to be believed, her was touring his kingdom in the company of his daughter who only seven summers old. _'Poor little Snow White desperately needs a mother.'_ Cora thought as she smirked wickedly_. 'Fret not dear, I know just the woman who will fill that need, and my Regina will finally have the standing and respect she deserves...for now at least.'_ A dark chuckle filled the air, _'Yes, yes. A kingdom for now, then Regina my dear, you will move on to bigger and better things. I will be there to help you every step of the way. Nothing will hinder you from your destiny. I will make sure of that.'_ It was an interesting development that was practically begging to be taken advantage of. And Cora intended on doing just that..

Regina sat by the apple tree blissfully unaware of her mother's scheming. Daniel was lying on the ground next to her looking up at the clouds and calling their shapes out aloud. Rune was feeding her magic into the tree to help it grow and occasionally disagreed with Daniel on what they looked like. Rune and Daniel still rubbed each other in the worst of ways, but they could now be in the same vicinity for ten minutes before the antagonistic comments began. It had been eight minutes, Regina was keeping track. They had been planning Regina's escape for months, regardless of whether she was running away with Daniel she needed to escape. Cora had done the impossible and had become significantly worse since Regina had started mouthing off and standing up to her. _'Then again,'_ Rune supposed_, 'having a cursed elf half-ling at one's disposal would give anyone a confidence boost.'_ this thought caused her to smirk ruefully. "Oh, that one looks like a serpent!" Daniel's voice broke in. Without even glancing up at the aforementioned cloud Rune decided that the shape was incorrect. "If we are going to have to put up with your 'childlike wonder' at least get the shapes right. That cloud is clearly a worm." Rune responded. "What? No it's not! It's a snake, you can even see its tongue." Daniel defended. _'Ten minutes.'_ Regina thought. "No. The worm is simply eating." Rune stated, already knowing what Daniel's rebuttal would be. Daniel was silent for a beat. _'Eleven.'_ "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard! What do worms even eat?!" he shouted impatiently. "Well," Rune paused for effect. _'Twelve.'_ "What did you have for breakfast Daniel?" Rune asked sweetly. Ginovio howled with laughter from within the branches of Tomlan, even Anne chuckled at the well timed jeer. Daniel glared between the birds that were laughing hysterically and their owner. Normally Regina would have snapped at Rune for saying something like that, but it had been a while since she saw her lighter side. It gave her hope that she could be pulled from the darkness. _'She needs to find her True Love.'_ Regina knew without a doubt that her sister needed its healing powers, as she subconsciously scooted closer to Daniel. The afternoon was full of jeers at either Daniel or Rune's expense but Regina couldn't help but hope this is how she lived out the rest of her life, in the company of people who loved and cared about her. All that was truly missing was her father and Rune's True Love. But for now she was content with how things were now.

-Enchanted Forest, Two Weeks Later-

Regina trotted up to Tomlan with a bright smile that only an afternoon with Bellerophon could bring out. Daniel was standing a few feet away from the tree ready to help her dismount, while Rune was leaning back against the trunk with what appeared to be a blush on her cheeks. After thanking Daniel for the help and giving him a soft kiss, she made her way over to Rune. Intent on finding out what had caused the scarlet coloring on her cheeks, her mission was put on hold however as a scream was heard from the valley below. All eyes were on the horse galloping at full speed across the grassy expanse, it was clear that the poor creature was spooked. The screams came from the rider who had fallen off the saddle but got caught up in something resulting in her being dragged behind the frightened beast. Two thoughts were identical among the trio while one was of a different nature. _'We have to save her!'_ both Daniel and Regina thought urgently. _**'If the horse makes it to the woods, she would most assuredly parish. Not the way I would choose to meet the Maker.'**_ Willow commented._ 'Many people don't have the luxury of choice, but I agree.' _Rune concurs. She hears Regina sprint off and mount Beller who swiftly descends down the hill and makes his way beside the fleeing stallion. The rescue effort was a bit anticlimactic for her tastes, but it got the job done. More people were on the way, so Rune was forced to depart before she could meet the child.

Regina was relieved she had reached the younger girl in time, her horse was heading straight for the woods. "Are you alright?" Regina questioned as she searched the child for injuries. The girl nodded, clearly still too shaken to respond verbally. Glad to find that the child was unharmed she smiled down at her. "My name is Regina, might I have your name?" Regina asked softly, determined not to startle the girl. The girl looked up through her lashes and shyly spoke, "Snow. Snow White." Regina's reply was drowned out by the sound of hoof beats and carriage wheels. She felt her eyes widen at the sight of the crest on the chest plates of the guards and hastily bowed, she was in the presence of The King.

Xxxxxx

Regina had invited The King and his men to her estate as it was expected of her. What she did not expect however was for him to agree to grace her home with her presence. By this time Daniel had made his way down the hill and offered to take Beller to the stables so that she may ride in the carriage along with The King, who of course thought it was a marvelous idea. Snow seemed to be quite taken with the young woman before him, and he could not deny her beauty. On the way back to the young lady's estate he listened happily as his daughter and Regina-as he had learned the fair maiden was called- chatted about everything under the sun it seemed, the trauma from earlier in the afternoon seemingly forgotten. Leopold allowed himself a small smile, this girl was everything Snow needed in a mother. She was kind, poised, intelligent, and had a certain spark in her eyes that drew people in. He would speak to her parents to see if she was spoken for, if not he intended to have her for himself, a beauty such as this was hard to find. He was thankful for his good fortune.

Cora was practically giddy when she saw the flag the approaching cavalry was flying. People were terribly predictable, even ones she had never met. Now it was time to put the next phase into action, Regina had no doubt unknowingly done her part and charmed His Highness with her wit and poise. Not to mention saving her daughter would definitely raise her prospects in becoming his future queen. Children were so easily attached that she was sure the little girl was falling over herself, to try and maintain the attention and conversation bestowed upon her by her daughter. Everything was going according to plan despite Regina's insubordination. Now all she had to do was play the part of a saleswoman and make this opportunity look too good to pass up while allowing The King to believe it was his idea to start with. She swallowed her chuckle as The King approached, it was time to help her daughter ascend to her destiny. As she bowed she caught the princess fawning over Regina and a satisfied smile ghosted across her face. Yes, everything was indeed going smoothly, and with luck Regina would be the new Queen in a matter of months. As The King approached her and her husband she already knew what his intentions were, and she was all too willing to oblige. The King strode up to the owners of the rather large estate confidently after convincing Snow to tour the home; Regina had readily volunteered to be the young girls guide. "Might you have somewhere more private? I would like to discuss a matter of utmost importance with you."

Xxxxxx

Rune silently made her way to the stables to meet Daniel, and although Willow would like to see how much of a challenge defeating His Majesty's Royal guards would be, remaining unseen would yield the best results. She kept thinking and reviewing the events that had taken place on the hill from every angle. The look in Daniel's eyes, his body language, the way his lips moved; trying to pinpoint anything that would tell her not to seek him out at the stables as he requested, but alas she had found none, which is how she found herself looking at the stable, knowing that something life changing was going to happen. She took a deep breath and entered the stables to find him pacing anxiously in front of her.

Daniel was worried, _'I doubt she will show up,' _he pondered sullenly, _'she probably suspects that this is some sort of trap or a means for me to harm her.'_ Thinking back to the first time he and Rune crossed paths. He started to pace, it was a habit he had picked up from his father growing up. _'None of that matters now. We are different people then the foolish teens we once were; it seems so illogical for this to be happening.'_ Daniel sighed in frustration looking toward the door hoping that Rune would walk through to set his heart and mind at ease. When the door stayed closed and he sensed no other presence in the stables with him, he returned to his pacing. So many thoughts and plans running through his mind that he missed the sound of the doors opening and Rune stepping in mumbling to himself for being so foolish in assuming that his pleading to meet him here would actually convince her.

"You know, mumbling to oneself is said to be a sign of madness." Daniel jumped at the voice that had broken through the silence of the stable. He turned to the direction of the familiar bored tone. "You came." Daniel breathed out. Even though it was meant to be a statement, it had sounded like a question. Rune shifted, "Yes well…You said it was urgent." Daniel slowly approached her, stopping just before her personal space. "Oh believe me it is. But before anything else happens, you must swear to me that you will not tell Regina of this." Rune snorted. "Like she'd believe me anyway," Daniel gave her a pleading look. "Alright, you have my word. Regina will know nothing of this." Releasing the breath he had been holding Daniel smiles. "Normally I would have spoken to her father but since our love is so clandestine; I have come to you." Rune raised her eyebrow. "Or rather had you come to me," Daniel amended hastily. "You are her elder sister, and I would love to make Regina my wife…and I am asking for your permission to marry her." _**'Well, that was unexpected.'**_ Willow stated in astonishment. Rune was extremely shocked at the events that had taken place but recovered quickly. She chuckled. "Daniel, my sister would marry you regardless of my consent. But for the sake of formalities, yes Daniel, I find you worthy of my sister. Treat her with the love and respect she deserves, I con and will not guarantee you will meet a swift end if I find out otherwise." She paused. "She has no doubt gained The King's attention, so you will need to make your move with haste. I can get both of you out of her safely." Daniel nodded. "Thank you." "No need to thank me. We haven't escaped yet."

Xxxxxx

Regina was staring to The King in shock. _'We met only a few hours ago! Who proposes only hours after knowing someone, most of those hours I was with his daughter! I don't even know him!' _these thoughts and others swirled in Regina's mind. "Of course, Your Highness." Her mother's voice broke through the constant stream of thoughts. Her mind reeled and her heart stopped. Her mother had just accepted the proposal on her behalf. Snow's face shined with joy, "You're going to be my new mother?" Regina couldn't breathe much less respond to the child's enthusiasm. She needed to see Daniel and tell him the news; she needed Rune to whisk them away somewhere. She made a plan to see Daniel that night and convince him to seek Rune's aid in this.

-Enchanted Forest, Three Hours After Sunset-

Regina slipped into the stables, where she saw Daniel with her father's steed. She rushed to him, "Oh Daniel, something terrible has happened. She explained the recent turn of events as quickly as possible; hoping that he would know what to do. She watched as Daniel turned and walked over to his saddle and pulled something out of it. Regina's heart thumped loudly in her chest as he slowly approached her. "Marry me Regina," Was all she heard; she saw his lips moving and heard muffled words coming out but she could think of nothing else. _'Marry me Regina,'_ the phrase bounced around her heart and skull. "Yes. Yes! Daniel I will marry you." She had never felt more complete as he pushed the ring onto her finger. She threw caution to the wind as she threw her arms around him and kissed him with all of her heart. A small gasp broke them apart; to her horror, Regina saw little Snow standing at the entrance of the stable before she turned and ran back the opposite way. Terror filled both lovers who quickly chased after the girl. They found Snow standing in front of Rune, who Daniel knew was returning with the map of the known lands, Snow looked scared out of her mind and all Rune was doing was standing. Regina had to admit Rune's dark aura was significantly amplified in the darkness of the night. Rune smiled down at the child and Snow seemed to be put at ease by it; the girl was upset that Regina was not going to be her mother but seemed mystified by the concept of True Love. The young girl even asked if Rune had met her True Love; to which Rune's imposing demeanor was replaced by a bashful and slightly unsure one. Regina made note to talk to her sister about that at a later point. Regina was satisfied with making the girl promise not to tell anyone of what she had witnessed. Rune on the other hand was not, "I could have used a spell to wipe her memory of what she saw." She said while watching the small girl's retreating form. "She can keep a secret; I was able to keep you a secret for quite some time." Regina defended. "Yes, but she's not you now is she?"

Xxxxxx

The sun had risen, and with it a new day. A day that Cora was determined to use to her advantage; something happened last night and she was going to find out what it was. Regina would be suspicious if she struck up a conversation out of the blue, she needed someone naive. And as luck would have it one such person had been handed to her on a silver platter. It was easy enough to get Snow alone in an isolated area; and once she got Snow talking it was child's play to steer the conversation into the direction she desired. _'I sincerely hope this girl will not procreate,'_ Cora thought disapprovingly, _'Or maybe I do if they turn out to be just as easily manipulated as she is.'_ If she were to guess her daughter and that **stable boy** were going to try to leave as soon as the sun sunk below the hills. Cora would wait patiently for the moment to do some gardening of her own and prune the growth off of her daughter…permanently.

-Enchanted Forest, Two hours After Sunset-

The plans were set; Regina and Daniel would ride to meet Rune at the grove and they would all disappear into the night thanks to Rune's superior knowledge of the woods. To do this they would need all of the horses which is why she needed to meet Daniel in the stables. In her haste she failed to notice that she was being followed. She entered the stables and Daniel was quick to embrace her she relished in the feeling of being in his arms for the moment; unsure of the next time they would be able to take the time to hold each other like this while they were on the run. Then she heard the stable doors slam shut. Regina knew it wasn't Rune but still hoped that it was anyway; turning her head she saw her mother standing in front of them with a smile plastered on her face. She stepped away from Daniel and stood face to face with her mother. She wouldn't be able to defeat her by herself, but that didn't matter all she needed was to slow her down.

Cora had hoped that Snow was lying; but somehow she knew she wasn't. To say she was disappointed when she found the couple wrapped up in each other when she entered the stable was an understatement; not only was she disappointed, she was also livid. She had to calm down; she had always been a convincing actress and now it was time to put those skills to use.

It had all happened so fast; One second it seemed as though her mother was letting them leave and the next her hand was wrist deep into Daniel's chest. Regina collapsed beside him and kissed him repeatedly trying in vain to reawaken him. The looked up at Cora dusting off the remains of Daniel's heart from her gloves. Regina swore she felt her own heart stop beating in that moment. "Don't look like that dear; I did this for you and your future after all." Cora states sweetly. Surveying the scene she takes her leave not even bothering or caring to see if Regina follows her. She had much bigger plans in mind; starting with finding out who the woman that Snow had spoken of was, she didn't sound familiar so she had to wonder if she and the stable boy were close.

Xxxxxx

Regina barely registered arms being wrapped around her; she felt herself being carried but she really did not care where. The look in Daniel's eyes as her mother plunged her hand into his chest would forever haunt her. Rune had made her way to the stables; the lovebirds were taking too long. She supposed they had gotten a tad…distracted, but now was not the time. As she came closer to the stables she sensed it; something had died, it was in the air. She looked around for any carcass that would cause this feeling, to her dismay there was nothing that would indicate the source outside, the death was inside the stables. She pushed open the doors and froze; Daniel was on the ground unresponsive as Regina held onto him and wept. _**'Magic has taken him,'**_ Willow observed. _'Very powerful dark magic, there is only one person that would do this.' _Rune concluded. _**'We should end her…I am sure Regina would be more than thankful for it.'**_ 'Perhaps, but not tonight.' Rune conceded as she bent down to pick Regina up; she had never seen her sister so lost before and it set her blood ablaze to know another betrayal by family had taken place. She needed to take Regina back home so she could rest. Tomorrow they would have to face the realities of what had occurred this fateful night. That Daniel was dead, Cora was his murderer, and that Snow White hadn't kept the secret.


	9. Chapter 9- Fall of the Crown

**A/N: **Woo! Another time warp; I re-watched a couple episodes trying to get some more ideas and I came across this episode. It was so full of potential that I couldn't pass it up. I'd like to thank you guys for the follows and reviews, they keep me writing and let me know you still like the story. Getting closer to Storybrooke with each chapter! I'm excited. Haha. Anyway here's the newest chapter. Enjoy.

-Enchanted Forest, Nine Years Later-

It had been a long nine years; Daniel's death was constantly plaguing Regina's mind she mourned him every day. The fact that she was basically trapped in a guiled cage did not help the healing process. Regina grew darker and more hateful as the days drew on; she blamed Snow for everything which was accurate and the fact that she was able to live out her life in happiness made Regina's blood boil. Regina was thankful that she was able to convince The King to allow her to appoint Rune into some position of standing. Rune was now known as her Enforcer; the sole person entrusted to protect the Queen with every breath they took. It was a simple task for her sister who had been doing so years before she had become royalty. Rune had started to abstain from magic, preferring to beat and tear her enemies apart with her superb fighting prowess and strength rather than using a simple spell to dispatch her adversaries. The latest suppression elixir, as they had begun to call it, had the unsavory side effect of near constant bloodlust. She had also used her newfound connections to try to locate her cousin Akeem without tipping him off before hand, so far the search had been fruitless but it was only a matter of time. Rune's visits to Granny's had stopped around four years ago. Rune felt that the darkness she carried would rub off on Red and that was the last thing she wanted to happen. So to save the young girl she had not returned; the decision tore her apart as more darkness latched onto her already tainted soul.

Xxxxxx

Regina was in the palace gardens picking apples with Rune not too far behind her looking for any signs of danger. _'She's getting fidgety,'_ Regina noted _'I will have to keep an ear out for outlaws; both Rune and Willow are overdue for a good brawl.'_ The sounds of approaching footsteps and an unfamiliar voice snapped her out of her thoughts as she felt her sister shift behind her. She hears introductions being made and feels eyes boring into her back. "And this is my wife, The Queen Regina." She pulled the apple from its stem, and then turned to greet the stranger. "Hello." She says softly with a slight smile; she manages to fight off the shiver of disgust that the strange man's lustful stare. She turned her head as Snow walked by with a freshly picked flower and headed in Rune's direction. She noticed Rune's grip tightened around the handle of her sword as Snow came within striking range, _'Yes, they both need something to bash-in.'_ Regina contemplated as she watched Rune bow dutifully as Snow put that day's flower in her sister's hair. It didn't do much to deter Rune's imposing appearance these days, but it had become a habit since The King did not want his daughter to be frightened by her stepmother's body guard. Rune's head snapped up and she glared at the foreign man who had tried to stand closer to The Queen. The man immediately halted his progress under the cursed half-ling's heated gaze and swallowed audibly. "Rune, would you please escort me to my chambers? I have grown weary of the chill in the air." Regina requested. Rune nodded "Of course my Queen." She replied smoothly while offering Regina her arm as she bid goodbye to The King, Snow, and the foreigner.

Once they reached Regina's chambers Rune dismissed the chamber maids and shut the doors behind them. As soon as the lock clicked they both relaxed; Rune flopped down on the edge of the bed and fought the urge to snatch the flower out of her hair. She heard her sister chuckling at her expense and looked to Regina with a scowl. The look caused Regina to laugh harder. Rune sighed before smirking, "I didn't see you laughing when that perverted Genie was practically molesting you with his eyes." The look on Regina's face was one akin to when someone unwittingly bites into a bruised piece of fruit. Regina sneers, "That man made me want to bathe for a week from his leering. How did you know he was a Genie?" Rune shrugged as she picked up a pomegranate, "It wasn't me who knew, I picked up on the magic but Willow noticed the scarring on his wrists. He had been recently unshackled." She replied catching her reflection in the mirror she paused. "I don't think I will ever get used to not seeing my own reflection in the mirror." Rune said softly as Willow gave a wolfish grin through the glass. Regina watched as her sister gazed at the mirror a while longer before Rune turned to her with a wicked glint in her eye. "Perhaps, we can use his new found freedom to break you shackles as well. He seemed to be the type to do something drastic in the name of love." That statement certainly piqued Regina's interest. "Really what did you have in mind?"

Xxxxxx

Later that evening at dinner Regina played the part of the neglected wife while Rune watched from the shadows. They had agreed that her presence would be more of a hindrance than an asset in this situation. Regina counted to ten before slipping into the gardens; she made a beeline to Tomlan and gazed out onto the horizon. She felt Rune's aura in the garden with her but did not bother to look; she knew she wouldn't be able to spot her. She heard soft footfalls behind her and knew he had fallen for their ruse. She would have Rune speak to her father later tonight for the next part of the plan. Now all Regina had to do was stomach the company of this strangely dressed man long enough for him to believe she cared for him. He tried to convince her that she was beautiful, and Regina was insulted at his interpretation of her performance. She was well aware that she was attractive and the fact that he gave her a mirror so she could "see what he sees" was offensive and confusing. _'Did I miss when mirrors became used in romantic gestures?'_ Regina mused in disbelief. They parted ways soon after much to Regina's relief and the Genie's disappointment. Knowing Rune was following her she made her way back to her chambers. Rune was amused at the sad attempt at romance the Genie had employed. Regina sighed and told her to contact her father while she wrote in her diary. Her sister smirked before leaving her alone.

Henry Mills met Rune shortly after Regina had been wed. The two got along famously at the start and after learning of the Soul Binding ritual he saw her as a second daughter. He saw the path they were headed down would be full of darkness but he would not abandon them. He knew that he could not save them, but they were all he had left. He would try his best to guide them; but he feels as though he failed with Rune. While he embraced her as a daughter, she never gave him the role of her father. He was kept at arm's length as her personality got darker; only letting Regina in. Regina was another matter entirely; their bond had strengthened over the years he was sure that even though there was no competition that the bond they shared was stronger than the one between both girls. He knew he would do anything to make Regina happy, no matter the cost. He was drawn out of his reflections by a knock on the door. "Enter." He said curious to see who would come to his chambers at such an hour. The doors opened and Rune strode in, the air around her automatically darkening. Henry gestured towards the seat, silently inviting her to sit down. She paused for a moment before sitting down, though this was not her first time in his room at such a late hour she did not enter with a lost look in her eyes Henry noticed. "Regina and I need your help. We have a plan and I can promise you that neither of you will be harmed. All that you need to do is deliver this box to the man that arrived here today," Rune paused and a look passed across her face and Henry grew concerned. Taking a deep breath she continues. "I need you to tell him that he is needed to deliver the box to Regina because The King would be suspicious if you did it." "What exactly is in this box?" Henry probed. Before Rune could reply however Rune doubled over and grimaced. She began patting her person in search of something, she quickly found what she needed and pulled it out. She brought the flask up to her lips and threw her head back in an attempt to swallow the contents quicker. It appeared that the flask was already empty or the contents did not have the desired effect because Rune growled in frustration. Henry was desperate to help as he watched her stumble towards the mirror, "**NOT** NOW!" she yelled at her reflection as ivory streaks started appearing in her hair. Henry rose and began to make his way to her. "**NO! **Stay back! You're safer over there!" Rune urged as her legs gave out. The trashing and growls continued for another minute or so before it all stopped.

Henry watched as Rune slowly picked herself off the floor. A dark chuckle filled the silence; "The contents of the box, old man are two of the deadliest serpents in this realm," she paused glancing at the mirror with a smirk. Henry fought off a shiver at her tone. "They have sworn fealty to me and do my bidding. They have been instructed on their task," Henry nearly fainted at the sight of glowing silver eyes that met his as she strode across the room to get in his personal space. "Now do yours." With that she turned around and paused just before she walked out the door, "The box will be carried up to your chambers tomorrow. Have a pleasant evening." After that she was gone leaving Henry to believe she was farther from his guidance than he had thought.

Xxxxxx

The plan had been going smoothly, and even though there were some disturbing reports of grisly murders in several villages, The King still employed the Genie's help in finding out who had stolen his wife's heart. Rune had been significantly less tense the next morning, Regina sighed it seemed like Willow had also built up a resistance to Rune's latest batch of suppression elixir. _'That explains the murders.'_ Regina mused. She had been in her chambers all morning, knowing it would make the Genie seek her out faster. The flapping of wings refocused her attention; she looked up just in time to see Ginovio land on her desk. "Yer father handed off the box. He's headed here, now would the time to put on yer war face lass." He informed her, "Oh, and watch out. He his mustache gives me the shivers." He winked before taking off. She was thankful that neither of their winged friends had changed much over the years. As the doors opened she gathered herself for the most pivotal part of the plan, convincing him to kill The King. The task had been easier to complete than she thought it would be; the man was truly desperate for love. All she had to do was brush her fingers near the opening of the box were the vipers were instructed to hiss and act as if they were going to strike her. He swiftly grabbed her hand and pulled her close and offered to kill The King instead of killing herself. She acted impressed at his bravery and "reluctantly" agreed to let him do this for her.

At her behest the Genie waited until the king was asleep in his bed so he'd be less likely to get caught. As Regina and Rune sat in her chambers they discussed what they were to do with the Genie once the task was completed. "We should kill him. Dead men tell no tales, we could simply say he sailed back to Agrabah; The Kingdom has no power there and you are free to rule as you please." Rune suggested, slightly jealous that Willow was able to let loose and she had not. She grinned darkly, "I promise not to get any on your drapes." Regina rolled her eyes, but seriously considered Rune's proposition. It would kill two birds with one stone; she wouldn't have to worry about him confessing to the murder somewhere down the line and Rune's bloodlust would be sated momentarily. It was an enticing offer but she wanted to give him a chance to leave; if he refused to leave however she would allow Rune to relieve some stress. She glanced over at her sister, who was currently cutting into her second pomegranate since they had been waiting. She was starting to think the girl had a problem, ever since her three month long tryst with that gypsy girl Esmeralda it's the only fruit she eats. She had a feeling that Tomlan was getting jealous that Rune no longer desired his apples. She was considering having a talk with her; she had forged a knife just for cutting the fruit! It was absurd. Rune was about half way through her new favorite fruit when the Genie burst into Regina's chambers not even noticing her sitting on the divan near the hearth. She was astonished that he confessed to the murder without once looking around. It was like his whole world revolved around her; Rune was grateful that she would have the chance to put this obsession to rest if Regina allows it. She pulled out her boot knife and set it on her thigh for quick access to it, but for now she was certain it'd be fine to watch the theatrics and finish her snack before the real fun began.

Regina was in awe of this man's stupidity; not once did he check to see if they were alone before practically shouting to the heavens that he was the one who had just killed The King. If anyone else had been in this room he would have been arrested and she would be looked upon with suspicion, she could slap this man, but that would expose her manipulations so instead she thanked him. Regina had seen Rune reach for a weapon; now was her one and only chance to convince him to leave and never return. That of course did cause the Genie to see her for what she really was; but still he did not want to leave and said as much. At this admission Rune was on her feet stalking towards him with a deadly glint in her eye. The Genie failed to notice his death creeping up on him as he ranted; it appeared that Rune wanted to be in close quarters when she struck not willing to attack until she knew she had him. The Genie turned to her with a crazed look in his eye snatched the lamp from his bag and made his wish. He was gone in a cloud of black and blue smoke leaving no trace behind. Rune grit her teeth and was about to mention the Genie's wish, when she heard a cry of anger and disbelief Regina's laugh drew her attention to the mirror the man had given her only to see his face and hear the pathetic thumps that his fists made as he pounded on the reflective surface. Rune laughed as well before tapping on the glass separating them. "I hope you are comfortable in there; it seems like you traded one pair of shackles for another. If you had only spoken slower you would have been at peace by now." She stated. "At peace, what do you mean? How would I have been at peace right now?" the man in the mirror queried curious to know how she could have made that happen. Rune smiled, "I was going to kill you. Death is the only place one can find true peace." The look of horror on his face was enough to make her laugh again. "Rune, stop taunting him; He may be of use to us sometime in the future." Regina chided. Rune growled at him for good measure before allowing Regina to retire for the night.

Xxxxxx

King Leopold's body was found the next morning. Rune managed to "coax" the vipers into a chest and identified them as Agrabah Vipers. It was common knowledge to all those in the castle that The King's guest had come from Agrabah; the guards searched the castle for the strange man with Rune leading the pursuit. After two weeks' worth of searching the castle grounds and the nearby villages Rune called off the search for The King's murderer. The whole nation mourned their King and Snow was absolutely distraught over what happened. Regina wore a veil over her face at the funeral the next month witnesses say she was sobbing so hard her shoulders were shaking. Even The Queen's Enforcer seemed to be taking it hard for her hand was over her mouth and though they weren't as noticeable as Queen Regina's; her shoulders were shaking as well. Regina's first act as Queen and sole ruler of the land was to start an investigation in search of the assassin's accomplice. Rune had informed her that many commoners believed that there was someone with in the palace that helped the Genie murder The King; how else could he have gotten access to His Majesty's chambers or smuggle in snakes? Regina already knows who will appear to be guilty, for the fairness of the people she allows the head of the Royal Guards to head the investigation instead of her Enforcer. They did not need suspicion cast on them so early in her reign; she needed someone unbiased and who also reminded the people of their King to find the damming evidence. So he was the logical choice; everything was coming along as it should be and soon Snow White would suffer.


	10. Chapter 10- Interference and Betrayal

**A/N: **I would like to apologize for the lack of Emma; but Emma will make her appearance in this chapter. YAY!I just think there is so much potential in Regina's life before the curse. Plus a good foundation was needed for the story to make sense. Now that that's out of the way, it is getting pretty close to Storybrooke. So expect more time skips in chapters. Thanks for the follows and reviews; as usual you guys are the bomb dot com. Lol. Enjoy!

-Enchanted Forest, Two Weeks After the Funeral-

Regina was growing impatient, that bumbling excuse for a guard captain was taking too long collecting evidence that was right in front of him. She exhaled in exasperation _'Maybe I should have let Rune head the "investigation", things would definitely be going quicker than they are now.'_ Her sister was not in the palace at the moment; she was following up on a lead concerning the location of Akeem. She was not due to return for another week if things went well. She rubbed her eyes as she looked at the parchment in her hands. She had no idea how her recently deceased husband allowed the country to get this bad. They were pouring gold down the river the way he had things; that is why she found herself in her study virtually buried in paperwork. She would not see her kingdom fall because of a dead King's poor judgment. But as she read her mid drifted back to her other dilemma, _'Perhaps I can find someone to take care of this burden of mine; someone in the village.' _She placed the parchment back down on her desk and paced over to the full length mirror in her study Rune had given it to her as soon as they figured out that he could travel to any reflective surface. Rune certainly loved to tease the man about his imprisonment; constantly asking him if he'd like to come out and stretch his legs and comments of similar nature. Smiling she waited for the Genie's face to appear before her, it didn't take long; she was surprised at his eagerness to please, not that she was complaining mind you, she just found his love for his newest form of captivity disturbing. "My Queen," he spoke while inclining his head in respect. "How may I be of assistance?" Regina cleared her throat, "I need you to find someone for me, someone with experience who isn't afraid of getting their hands dirty. As soon as you find someone that fits the description alert me straightaway." With another incline of his head he disappeared and left Regina alone.

She hugged her cloak closer to her body to lessen the chance of it getting snagged on anything. It would cause her to stand out; which was not something she desired to happen. Not too far ahead of her she saw a familiar head of hair bob as they walked through the markets. He was weaving through the crowd with practiced ease; a novice would have lost his trail long ago, but Rune was no novice. When she came to this small city to follow up on a tip that he may have passed through a fortnight ago she had not expected that he would return. She could recognize that arrogant stride anywhere; Akeem was in the city again and had unknowingly presented himself on a silver platter. As she followed him the population in the street started to decrease and he began to make occasional glances behind him. The risk of being discovered had increased significantly and with the sun still so high in the air there weren't any shadows to sink into. She made the split second choice and ducked into an alley and nearly ran into a ladder; swearing softly is surprise she grabs the ladder, and decides it would be easier to follow him from above. Quickly scaling the ladder she reached the roof of the complex and spotted her target, he had stopped just a few paces away and appeared to be looking for someone. _'Probably an outside contact; it's the only possibility that makes sense.'_ Rune suspected. _**'A very likely possibility, I sincerely doubt his failure at the village has staunched his lust for power.'**_ Willow hypothesized angrily. Rune was not going to sit idly by and allow him to do any more damage. She unsheathed her dagger and jumped off the building; Akeem had just enough time to look up before her shadow was upon him.

Xxxxxx

Akeem was in a hurry; he had returned to the city for a woman. Her beauty had plagued his mind ever since he saw her that day. When their eyes made contact he felt as though all was right in the world. He had approached the alluring woman and introduced himself, normally he would have gone by an alias; but she was too good for that. He saw a look of satisfaction cross her face and knew he had made the right choice. She had introduced herself shortly after; Esmeralda. Her voice had caressed his senses and his knees went wear for a moment. The name suited her; for it matched her intense green eyes. And although her goat didn't seem to enjoy his company she did. He left the city soon after their meeting to seek out a contact that could help him gain power within a promising mercenary group. He had not even made it halfway to the next city before he turned back to get her. Once he was back within the city's gates he went off in search of the gypsy group traveling with his beloved; he checked the marketplace first, assuming they would be there to sell their wares but there was not a gypsy in sight. Not allowing himself to be discouraged he continued on, even as the people in the streets dwindled. He turned around looking back in the direction of the markets. _'Maybe I should head to where we met. It seemed as though they had set up camp there.' _Akeem supposed. The sunlight above him dimmed out of nowhere and he looked up in time to see a cloaked figure about to land on him.

She could not believe the good fortune that had been bestowed upon her. Months before she had promised her lover that she would keep an eye out for a man on her travels; and not only had the man she just met match the description but they also had the same name. She would need to tell Rune if her suspicions as soon as she could get away, she had beguiled him into telling her his plans of travel and she now had the names of three cities that he would visit. If he had left by the time Rune arrived to the city then she would tell her of his next destinations. There was no reason to include all of the information in the letter; besides it would be poor judgment on her part to not take advantage of her lover's presence in the city…the sheets were too cold in her opinion and she knew Rune would be more than willing to oblige in warming them. She smirked, oh yes she was quite fortunate indeed.

Xxxxxx

Rune smirked at Akeem's cry of pain, while he had moved it wasn't enough to keep him uninjured. His left arm was bleeding heavily, but it was still usable. She intended to fix that, there was much more blood to be spilled for his betrayal. Akeem was gripping his arm but seemed to be prepared to defend himself, "Who the hell are you?!" he demanded shrilly. Rune gripped her dagger tighter, she was not going to waste her breath, Akeem had always been a snake in the grass but he would not worm his way out of this. She sprinted towards him and just barely managed to duck under his slicing curse. She barreled into him and thrust her dagger deep into the flesh of his arm as they made contact with the building behind him. Akeem fought back and blasted Rune across the street with a burst of energy that disintegrated her cloak and scorched her charmed vest. Akeem's face paled as he recognized who it was before him._ 'How did she find me, I had been so careful?! It seems as if she's gained more power than she had before; that shouldn't be possible!_' His mind wailed as he tried to find a way to escape. Rune quickly recovered and sent her own torrent of magic at him. Akeem dodged most of the spells that hurtled towards him but his leg was a victim of a rather nasty carving hex that left it nearly unusable. Akeem's vision was slightly blurred but he could make out the sound of his cousin's approach over the blood pounding in his ears. "Halt, in the name of the Queen!" a voice sounded from somewhere to his left. _'It's the Royal Guards!'_ His mind sighed in relief. Rune ignored them and continued her advance. "I said to stop! Do not move!" the voice cried in anger. Rune whipped her head to the side and glared at the annoying man, "This is official Royal business." She growled. "Oh really, since when is destroying Her Majesty's city official business." The stout man asked imperiously. She sneered at his tone, "As the Queen's Enforcer I am obligated to chase after and capture the most dangerous criminals." As the words left her lips she saw every face in the patrol pale significantly. She slowly turned her head in the direction Akeem had been gripping his leg in pain. He was nowhere to be found. _'NO! AKEEM, YOU SON OF A BASTARD!' __**'ARRGGH! Those insolent fools!'**_ Rune rounded on the Guard Captain "That man was responsible for the murders of an entire village," she declared as she walked up to him. "And thanks to you and your interference, he has now escaped!" she shouted as her hands found purchase around his plump neck and tightened her grip. The other guards winced as they heard his trachea being crushed; he struggled in vain to dislodge the iron grip around his throat depriving him of precious oxygen, but soon his struggles lessen and finally stop. Rune lets the body drop as she releases her hold on his neck; her blood still feels like lava, the kill did nothing to sate her anger. "Who is next in command?" she demands. A red haired boy around 19 steps up. "I am, ma'am." She gives him an appraising look. "Congratulations on the promotion; set up a perimeter and search for him. I doubt he is still within the city but I will not take any chances. If you find anything that you believe could lead to his discovery or capture send me a raven. I will be there as quickly as possible." The boy seems slightly frazzled at all the information he has been given but nods. "Will you not be staying here?" he asks tentatively. "No, I must return to The Queen."

-Enchanted Forest, Two Days Later-

Rune had returned last night in one of the foulest moods Regina had ever seen her in. After Rune recounted what happened she couldn't blame her. The Royal Guards were starting to become somewhat of nuisance. _'It's a wonder that The King wasn't murdered sooner than this the way they go about things.'_ Regina mused condescendingly. She just hoped that Rune or Willow would go on a rampage and kill all of the Royal Guards, though she suspected that would be more Willow's style. Regina was currently on her way to a tavern; normally she would not lower herself to be in such an unsavory place, but she had to find someone. It had taken a while longer to hear back from the mirror with news of what she required, but what he did find was suitable for this task. He was said to be a true Child of the Forest, so they only called him the Huntsman. It was also rumored that he had some strange code of honor that he lived by, but she had no doubt that she could get around it. When she saw the man she was immediately attracted to his gruffness, it didn't take much to get him to agree to come to her castle so they could iron out the details of his contract. She pushed open the doors to her study and wasn't surprised at her sister's presence; what did surprise her was her attire. She was dressed in knee high boots and black leather pants with a matching vest over a blood red shirt; Anne being perched on her shoulder just added to the slightly sinister image. Regina chuckled lightly, Rune was not usually one for theatrics but when she did it, she did it well. She turned to the Huntsman, "I need you to kill someone for me; are you capable of doing such a thing?" Regina probed. The Huntsman nodded. A triumphant smile ghosted across her face. "Excellent, name your price and it shall be yours." Regina stated. "Upon completion of course." Rune added. The Huntsman glowered at Rune before switching his gaze back to the Queen. "The wolves; they are to be protected. I would like a law declaring that it is illegal to harm or kill one." Regina raised an eyebrow at the request while Rune laughed. "You'd better hope you can complete this task, if not I'll personally see to it that wolf hunting becomes this land's favorite pastime." The Huntsman shoots another glare at Rune who snickers. "It will be done." Regina agrees; the Huntsman nods "You are to kill the princess while escorting her on her daily walk. I would also like you to retrieve something from her," she says slowly looking into his eyes. "Name it my lady." Regina smirks, "Her heart; bring it back here with you." Nodding takes his leave to search for the girl. Regina turned to look at her sister, "Must you always be so antagonizing?" "What can I say? I enjoy watching people attempt to challenge me." Rune said darkly. "You fancy him." It was not a question, just an observation but Regina still felt the need to deny it. So she scoffed and headed over to the window, "I simply find his build attractive. Nothing more, nothing less." "I never said it wasn't strictly physical." Regina could practically hear the smirk in Rune's voice as she walked to stand behind her. "You nearly have her; how do you feel?" Regina is silent for a few moments, "I have no idea how to feel; I suppose when her heart is in my vault the situation will sink in. Until then this all feels surreal."

Xxxxxx

She was running as fast as she could branches were whipping across her face but she didn't care. She needed to get away; while she was surprised Regina hadn't sent Rune to kill her she was glad. Snow had always been fond of the stoic body guard, but she knew if Regina asked for Rune to cut out her heart she would not have hesitated. She had decided to avoid the road and the nearby forests surrounding it. That would easily get her captured; she had not slowed her pace since the Huntsman let her escape. She was so tired but she couldn't stop, there was still so much ground to put between her and the only home she'd ever known. She couldn't risk being anywhere near the castle, or rather Regina and by proxy Rune, if the Huntsman's treachery was discovered. Snow doubted that her letter would have any effect on her stepmother, but it was worth it in the end by giving her another chance at life. The sun was getting ready to set and Snow clutched her cloak closer in an attempt to keep warm. It would be winter soon, which would make her easier to track. She would rest later she told herself, for now she would keep running until her legs gave out and she collapsed from exhaustion.

She hated reconnaissance missions. They were usually a waste of time and resources but Rune had assigned her with scouting out a small city for this Akeem character. She had jumped at the opportunity when Rune had mentioned it, eager to prove herself. Out of the 50 possible guards that The Enforcer had been scouting she was proud to say that she was in the top 5 out of the 10 that had made it into the program. She sighed and ran her hands through her blonde locks, now she was forced to return with nothing to show for her time there. Emma knew when she had joined the Royal Guard that she would have to work five times as hard to gain the same amount of respect that the weakest man had. She was pissed; Rune was going to be disappointed in her. She might even lose her position as Squad Leader because of this. She knew that Rune would want the news as soon as she arrived and the palace was coming into view. She sped up her horse and prayed that she wouldn't be skinned alive for this. When she arrived at the castle she was informed that her leader was in The Queen's study. _'Just my luck that I'd also need to report my failure while the Queen is present.'_ Emma groaned internally. She collected herself and pushed through the doors.

Regina was pleased when the doors opened but the sight that greeted her was not one that she expected. The blonde bowed hastily and Regina heard a chuckle from behind her. "I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow. What news have you brought that could not wait?" Regina whipped her head towards her sister. _'She knows this woman? When did they meet? How close are they?'_ Regina's thoughts are going a mile a minute but no answer comes to her. Regina was so lost in thought that she nearly missed the flaxen haired woman's response. "There is no news to report I'm afraid, he wasn't in the city. I would have found him otherwise." "Relax Emma; I know he would have been hog tied to your saddle otherwise." Rune stated as her eyes shined with mirth. "We will have to keep an eye on the city in the future but nothing one of the others can't handle. Your Highness, I don't believe you two have met. My Queen, this is Emma Squad Leader of my Elite. Emma, this is her Royal Highness Queen Regina." At this Emma looked up and saw the most beautiful woman she had ever laid eyes on. Both women felt their hearts leap as their eyes met. One brushed it off while the other saved it to examine it for later. Their moment was interrupted by the Huntsman who strode through the doors. Emma looked at him curiously, and then looked to Rune for her orders. Rune glared at the man before meeting Emma's gaze, "Stay here, your assistance may be needed." Emma nodded and took up a position near the door. Rune joined her by the door. "So, that guy…he seems like a fruit." Emma states casually. Rune tries to stifle her laughter and succeeded for the most part. "I'm glad that I wasn't the only one who picked up on that." Their friendly conversation at the Huntsman's expense was interrupted by Regina's cry of outrage. The duo grabbed the Huntsman as Regina stormed back into the study with murder in her eyes. She plunged her hand into the unsuspecting man's chest and pulled out his heart. "Take him to the dungeons!" Regina had been betrayed and once again Snow White was the cause.


	11. Chapter 11- Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

**A/N:** Woo! Emma has arrived. She will be a regular in the story from now on. Also school is starting to pick back up so I may not be able to update as often as I'd like. I will keep updating though. No worries :)

-Enchanted Forest, Two Months Later-

The first snow had fallen and winter now had the lands firmly in her grasp. Winter was never her favorite season, but now she had a new hatred for it. Night had fallen and Snow was becoming paranoid, she had grown up listening to Rune tell stories of the horrid creatures that dwelled in the forest. The woods started to thin out and she could see a cottage not too far ahead of her; loud growling somewhere within the woods grabbed her attention. It was far too close for her liking, she looked around before sprinting in the direction of the cabin, and she couldn't bring herself to look back over her shoulder even though the growling was getting louder. The cabin was still a ways away but she was quickly coming up on a different structure, not willing to risk being completely exposed any longer she quickly decides to enter what she finds out to be a chicken coop. Scared out of her mind and exhausted she collapsed into a fitful sleep.

Xxxxxx

"Come on, you have to be quicker than that Phillip!" Rune shouted as she watched him lumber about trying in vain to catch the blond blur off guard. Emma was doing exceedingly well; she was definitely one of the main candidates for her Captain. The other two had potential but Emma outshined them effortlessly. In less than a minute Phillip was sword less, on his back and had Emma's sword biting into the skin of his neck. Rune clapped, "Well done Emma, maybe one day these boys will be men and offer us a challenge." Emma chuckled, "Let's hope it's not before our hair grays." The men in question grumbled but laughed along with the women. They all knew how hard they worked; it showed in their training every day. The skill of her battalion impressed Rune every day; she had, had enough of the Royal Guard messing everything up so she picked certain guards with the potential to become her Elite, she then had to weed out the weakest out of them and now she was left with the most capable guards in the palace, for now. They only answered to her and, of course the Queen. Rune needed Regina to trust her Captain as much as she trusted Rune herself. _'Yet another reason Emma is the logical choice.'_ Regina hadn't taken a shine to the other two candidates which was vital. _**'Not to mention interesting.' **_Willow added amusedly. Rune had to agree it was entertaining to see the two gravitate towards each other; she wasn't sure but she had her suspicions about them. Only time would yield the answers she wanted, in the meantime she would inform her men that they had a Captain. She smirked, Emma was going to freak.

Regina sighed, a village not too far from her childhood home was under attack by a fearsome wolf and had requested after their third hunting party was slaughtered. _'This should give Rune something to do.'_ She thought lightly as she stroked Ginovio's feathered head. Usually he would have accompanied Rune to the training grounds but he was still a little miffed about Rune managing to enchant a baby fruit bat. The thing was always hidden in the shade of Rune's hair; and while Anne had fallen in love with the little creature Ginovio despised it, which of course put him into hot water with Anne. To say the situation was amusing was a large understatement. Rune strolled into her study and was followed by the blonde who seemed to be occupying her mind endlessly as of late. After bowing Rune got straight to business, "Your Majesty I would like to introduce you to the new Captain of my Elite. She will act as your body guard in my stead when I am sent out on missions. She is worthy and has earned a name." Both women were shocked at the news that had just been given. Regina was able to gather her thoughts quicker, so she was able to speak first. "You truly believe that she has earned it?" Rune nodded. Her gaze drifted to Emma, "Did she know of her title before entering this room?" Rune glanced at her Captain and laughed. "I believe it is apparent that she is hearing this for the first time as well My Queen." Regina had to agree, there was no way to fake that level of surprise genuinely. "I think you stopped her brain Rune." Ginovio commented. Looking way too entertained at the younger girls shock. The sound of his voice however seemed to kick start Emma's brain she looked at him in awe, "You can speak?" Ginovio puffed out his chest "I can do more than that lass, just ask Rune." Regina realized they were veering off the topic so she intervened before Ginovio said something crass. "You will have to name her when you get back. There is a village that needs your assistance; a wolf has been terrorizing them for quite some time. I'd like you to investigate and solve the issue. Let's hope your Captain is ready, because you need to leave now. Wolf's time is already upon us." Rune nodded and turned to Emma who still seemed a little dazed by all the happenings. "Don't worry, you'll do fine. Just remember your training and trust your gut." After Rune had bid farewell and left the reality of the situation hit Emma, who just realized she'd have to be the shadow of the woman consuming her mind. _'Oh boy…'_

Xxxxxx

Red hated unlocking the house after the night had been chased away by the sun. All she wanted was to sleep in for once, to stay in the realm of dreams for just a while longer. Art was there in her dreams; she hadn't abandoned her like she had in the harsh light of day. She wasn't a fool, she had noticed how dark her…friend? Yes, **friend**. Had become in recent years; but that didn't matter to her. _'How could she not have known that?'_ Her thoughts of Art were broken up by her grandmother's voice. "Red, go out and check on the chickens. Let's hope that wolf didn't get into the coop last night." Sighing Red stood from her bed and gathered her gloves and basket to collect the eggs. "Don't forget to wear your cloak!" Granny reminded. Red glared at the aforementioned item, she had grown into it over the years but her love for it died when Art had stopped coming around. She suspected that it was one of the abundant reasons Art had not returned. _'All she saw when she looked at me was the same child she had found in the woods. There was no reason for her to spend her time with a child.'_ Red internally moped as she tied the strings to her cloak around her neck. She left the cabin without a word and headed to the hen house. When she entered she began to collect the eggs that the hens had laid, relieved that they were alright. A board creaked to her right, she turned toward the noise "Who's there?" her heart was racing at the possibility of who could be in the hen house. She couldn't hide her disappointment as a stranger appeared from behind the rows of hens. _'What did you expect? That she would just show up after so long and sweep you into her arms?' _Red thought angrily. "Why are you in here? Are you stealing our eggs?" she questioned. The shorter girl held up the eggs and Red gently placed them in the basket. "I'm sorry, I have never stolen before as to why I am in here I heard some growling while I was in the woods and hid in here." The other girl spoke softly. Red nodded, "Its fine. I'm Red by the way; well that's what everyone calls me." She smiled. "I'm Mary…no Margret!.. uhh" Red chuckled at the girls poor attempt at lying. "Don't worry about it; come on lets go inside, you must be hungry." Red turned and left the chicken coop only glancing behind her occasionally to see if her new companion was following.

Granny sighed; she hated seeing her granddaughter so love sick. It started when Rune hadn't shown up for her then monthly visit to their home. She had consoled the girl by suggesting that Rune may have been traveling and was too tried to make the journey. This was possible since the young woman seemed to have an air of wanderlust about her. But more months passed by without a visit or word from the tanned warrior, Granny and Red started to fear the worst. They dutifully attended King's funeral when they saw her; her entire demeanor had darkened but they could recognize her anywhere, not only was she part of the procession but she was also The Queen's Enforcer. The revelation shocked both of them, they had heard the rumors that surrounded The Queen's personal body guard; none of them seemed possible when they thought of the young woman that had wormed her way into their family but there she stood. Next to the sobbing Queen with a consoling hand on her shoulder; her own shoulders shaking lightly. When they returned home Red had ripped off her cloak and hidden in her room. Now she just spent her days with her head in the clouds. _'This is not how things were supposed to turn out.'_ Granny thought solemnly. Her musings were cut short by the sound of the door opening Red entered followed by a strange girl. "Can she stay for breakfast?" Red asked hopefully. Granny chuckled, "You're always bringing strange girls home Red." The girl blushed at her grandmother's implication. About halfway through their meal a knock sounded on the door. Granny sighed and got up, "You hunters better not be trying to get Red to join you…" Her sentence trailed off as she saw who was on the other side of the door.

Rune tried to calm her racing heart; it had been nearly five years since she last set foot on this property. Rune could feel Willow's apprehension as well. _'What am I expecting exactly? A tearful reunion? There is no way a reception like that is possible.' __**'Maybe they have forgotten us. We have changed perhaps they will not recognize us if they haven't forgotten.'**_ Both possibilities tore at Rune's heart. She didn't want to be forgotten, even if that was probably best for them nor did she want to be viewed in fear because they did not know her identity, but knew her title. Taking a deep breath she knocked on the door; she heard some mumbling as the door opened but it stopped as her eyes connected with shocked hazel ones. The sight of Red's grandmother warmed her heart; that warmth soon traveled to her cheek as the elderly woman's slap registered in her brain. "You've got some nerve showing up here after all this time," She was then pulled into a hug "But I'm glad you did. Red's been a mess without you." _**'Well the good news is that she's just as confusing as ever.'**_ Willow commented, relief clear in her voice. "Don't just stand there! Come in," pulling the woman into the house; glancing at the now empty table she looked back at Rune. "You stay here, I'll fetch Red." The excitement in Granny's voice was hard to miss. _'Yes, she is the most perplexing person we have ever met.'_ The sound of footsteps brought her back to reality. She looked up and her once calm heart started beating so hard he was sure that she would have a bruise later. Granny looked on in amusement as both women looked at each other in shock. "Art?" Red had broken the silence first. Rune could only nod dumbly before she was nearly tackled to the ground. Grunting upon impact Rune was quick to gather her balance so they wouldn't topple over. She looked down at watery hazel eyes and wiped away the tears that had already begun to fall. She felt a hand grip the back of her neck, and the whole world stopped as feather soft lips connected with her own.

Xxxxxx

Emma had a sinking feeling in her gut. It seemed like wherever the Queen went, they would run into the same guard. Normally this wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary but she didn't recognize him from any of her patrols or the mandatory guard meetings. Granted, only about half the guards showed up to them; but this guy was different. She could feel her stomach rolling anytime he was near the Queen. Regina had noticed some time ago that her guard seemed to be on edge; more so than at the start of the day. She had just held court, they peasants can say what they want about her personality but they couldn't deny that she took care of the people. Regina was feeling stressed so she decided to take a stroll through the garden to clear her head and hopefully get to discuss the young guard's distress. She made her way to the apple tree and turned to face the beautiful blonde approaching her only to have said blonde tackle her to the ground and hearing something hit the tree with a 'thunk'. She found herself staring dazedly into viridian eyes and hyperaware of the lean body that was currently pressed up against hers; but before she could utter a word the body above her was taking off in a sprint. An 'oof' was heard in the distance and Regina sat up in time to see Emma wrestling one of her guards to the ground. She watched as Emma beat the man into submission before deciding that she had better intervene before she killed the man. She slowly strode over "Emma, I believe that we need him alive if we wish to interrogate him." She stated. "Apologies My Queen; but with all due respect my roughness was well deserved, he just tried to kill you." Emma responded slightly breathless from exertion. "Yes and I have to say you did a marvelous job protecting me, Rune chose well. Now would you be a dear and roll him onto his back; he has something that belongs to me now." Regina stated eerily calm the entire time. When those words met the man's ears his struggles were born anew and he was once again thrashing around trying desperately to escape. Emma was able to pin his arms behind his back and keep him still long enough for Regina to shove her hand into his chest; Emma averted her eyes, of all the things the Queen did this was the only thing that gave her pause. With the man's still beating heart in her hand Regina instructed, "Take him down to the dungeons; when Rune returns she shall give you proper instruction on her…interrogation techniques." Glancing at her apple tree she pulls out a dagger which is most likely laced with poison. Sneering she pulls the weapon out and makes to leave the garden, "And when you have finished escorting the prisoner; join me in my study. We have much to discuss." Emma nods before hauling the prisoner to his feet. _'My first official day on the job and someone tries to kill The Queen. Just my luck.'_ Emma grumbles internally.

Regina was furiously pacing the length of her study racking her brain in search of likely suspects that would have planted an assassin within the ranks of the Royal Guard. She was feeling extremely thankful that Rune had made the decision to create her Elite. If her sister hadn't been so fed up with the guards constant failing Regina doubted that she would be alive right now. She owed Emma her life, and she couldn't help but constantly replay the rescue over in her mind. She had no idea what to make of her feelings, if you could call them that, for the blonde. Regina knew without a doubt that there was no way she would be able to get the young woman out of her head after today's events. Perhaps she would discuss this with Rune when she returned, her sister had always been insightful when it came to how she was feeling. She just hoped that her sister wouldn't do something reckless and return injured; though that was a major possibility. The door creaked open signaling Emma's arrival, Regina's heart gave a nervous jolt as she smoothed out her appearance but was completely clueless as to why she was reacting this way. As Emma walked in she could tell that the Queen was stressed, but she couldn't help but marvel at how beautiful she looked even in this state. She shook her head to clear it of the inappropriate thoughts that had begun to form. Emma was well aware of her attraction to The Queen and hoped it was just physical but something in the back of her mind told her that it was much more than that. Perhaps if she were to be knighted she could attempt to court the Queen, so far the only person that had been knighted was Rune but she still went by her title as Enforcer. Yes, she would become a knight; and then she would win The Queen's heart.

Xxxxxx

Red was worried; Art had left to go talk to the hunting party about the wolf. She had told her and Granny of the mission The Queen had sent her on, and Granny insisted that Art find a way to resolve the problem without using deadly force. Which looking back on it was strange, but Art had agreed to it anyway. She needed to talk to someone about her fears and looked to Mary, -or was it Margret now? - for advice while leaving out some details to protect Art's identity. She and the girl were quickly becoming friends and after Art had kissed her goodbye she felt like she was going to explode with all these thoughts and feelings whirling around inside her. So that is how she found herself sitting on her bed with night about to fall talking to Margret. "Do you think she's your True Love?" Mary whispered excitedly, even though she had yet to meet Art she was happy for her new friend. Red blushed but nodded minutely. "Then you have to save her! We both saw what the wolf did to the last hunting part; you need to bring her back here!" Red nodded and opened the window, "Don't worry about your grandmother. I'll distract her." Mary said while slipping on the cloak. Red flashed Margret a grateful smile and hopped out the window and took off towards the woods.

Rune was pissed those townspeople were complete idiots. Even though the wolf decimated their hunting parties they kept sending the same sized group along the same path, armed with the same weapons but expected different results each time! She found herself praying that none of them ever left the village and mated with someone else. '_That may cause an epidemic of stupidity; that's the last thing this kingdom needs.' __**'Let's just hope survival of the fittest works quickly in these parts.'**_ Rune outright laughed at her doppelgänger's response; night had fallen so she was hoping the noise would attract the beast. She had noticed a while ago that all sounds in the forest had ceased once the sun had fallen from the sky and the moon rose to take its place, and that was never a good sign. A twig snapped off to the left, she pretended not to notice and kept her leisurely pace through the trees. A low growl rumbled closely behind her _**'Looks like we have company. Let's see if I can take this monster.'**__ 'Remember, peaceful resolution first! We promised.' _Rune reminded her as she slipped away. The transition was so much easier when she wasn't trying to fight it; Willow smirked and whipped around. Radiant gold eyes met glowing silver before Willow was tackled by a brown furred blur. The scene that Granny and Mary came upon was not one that either had expected; Red was currently on her back as Art was giving her belly rubs. Granny took advantage of Red's distracted state and laid the cloak over her. When Red had come to her senses Granny told her everything, Willow took this chance to look at the stranger that had arrived with Granny. All conversation stopped when Willow pinned Margret to the tree hands wrapped around the girl's throat. The sounds of angry villagers could be heard in the distance, still no one moved. Granny turned to Red "Run girl! It's you they're after." Willow narrowed her eyes and glanced back at Red before looking into Snow's frightened eyes. "You were not my mission. You have until I return to the castle and report to Her Majesty to get as much land as possible between you and me." "You, you would lie to The Queen for me?" Snow asked unbelieving. "Not for you," she gave a pointed look to Red. "For her; she will need someone to watch her back. If I find out you failed to do so however, there is nowhere I can't find you." Willow stepped back letting the girl drop to her feet. She crossed the distance between herself and Red "You must go; I will buy you time." With one last kiss Willow watched as the girls ran off into the distance.


	12. Chapter 12- As the World Crumbles

**A/N: **There is a lot of important stuff in this chapter! I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. Let me know what you think. Lol. As always you guys rock! :D

**Disclaimer:** I do not own 'Once…' or "'Ferngully'. Just Rune and her birdies we hang out, they're kinda the coolest.

-Enchanted Forest, Two Years later-

After Willow let Snow escape, the young girl made some strong allies. The princess had now become a Queen herself, but that did little to hinder Regina's attempts on her life and Snow was just as accommodating. Their kingdoms had been at war for nearly a year. And while Regina had numbers, Snow had "the forces of good" on her side. The would-be assassin that attacked Regina in Rune's absence was hired by Akeem who had once again gained power; Rune was now nearly obsessed with putting an end to his life. Emma was now Rune's top solider and there was talk about her being knighted, her feelings for the Queen had grown deeper over the years and she could now safely say that she had fallen for the woman she was sworn to protect and serve. Regina on the other hand had started to keep the blonde at a distance because of the emotions that stirred within her whenever the Captain was around. No amount of distance could banish the thought of the courageous blonde or the feelings that were beginning to surface much to Regina's dismay.

Xxxxxx

'_You're gazing again, she's going to notice. You have to look away before she —great. She caught you. DON'T KEEP LOOKING! You need to pay attention! This is a war council meeting.' _That thought successfully brought Emma out of her Regina induced haze; she glanced over to see Rune staring at the map but she could tell her friend's mind was elsewhere. As if hearing her thoughts Rune blinked rapidly and looked at her and smirked. "I believe that Captain Swan should escort the Queen and me to meet our potential allies." Rune declared. Emma was grateful that she had not been drinking anything for if she had she surely would have choked to death. The Queen who was about to take a drink from her goblet paused and cut a glare at her sister, "Why would her presence be required on this journey? Is it absolutely necessary?" Regina asked. "It is obvious that she aspires to become a knight My Queen; one should never waste an opportunity for knighthood, should one arise." But the smile on Rune's face as she replied spoke otherwise; Regina knew that smile, it was the one Rune had when she did something to deliberately vex her. Meanwhile Emma was internally reliving the ceremony in which she had been named by The Enforcer.

_~Flashback~_

Regina had not been pleased with Rune when she explained that Snow White had been in the village that was having wolf troubles. Understandably Rune and Willow had been distracted by fending off the wolf's attack that she hadn't had the chance to apprehend the girl but did know the direction she took off in. Emma's naming ceremony was the next order of business which took place the following evening; every member of the Elite was present, even The Queen attended. Rune was dressed as a true warrior standing by the fire her face decorated in war paint and more feathers in her hair than usual. Emma has dressed in much the same way and was kneeling before Rune. "You will all earn your names; you shall bear them with pride. We are a tribe; we will bleed together and protect one another. We will serve our Queen without pause." All of the Elite nodded as Rune continued. "Emma you stand before me nameless, it is my honor as your Battle Master to bestow upon you your warrior name. Please tell me, what animal you favor." Emma thought of many different creatures but only one stood out. "A stallion; strong and stubborn." Emma spoke. "I see; the name I shall give you will be Swan. For you maybe strong but you are unnaturally graceful when it comes to sword play. And while your stubbornness may be a defining trait it will carry you to heights unknown." Emma was shocked at both the name and kind words that had been said; she knew she would be underestimated with a name like Swan but she could use that to her advantage. She knew that the name would grow on her; it had a nice ring to it after all.

_~End Flashback~_

Her reverie was cut short by some of the council members' cried of outrage at the prospect of the Queen undertaking such a task during a time of war. Emma was inclined to agree with them but Rune was always the one to see the bigger picture; many battles had been won with the combination of her bold strategies coupled with Rune's …inventive way of thinking. They had gained many allies without the Queen's presence, so why was it needed now? Sensing the growing tension in the room Emma spoke up, "It would be my honor to accompany you along your journey. Sphinx will be Captain in my stead until our return." Rune nodded in approval of her choice before resting her gaze on her sister. "My Queen, do you find this quest to be worthy of your time?" Regina was eager to escape the confines of the castle but was able to reign in her excitement and respond properly. "Of course, I will always trust your judgment Rune." After the Queen had given her opinion and approval of the quest much of the council's comments died down. While these men all had plenty of courage, no man in the room thought that anyone would openly speak out against the Queen. "Spectacular! Shall we set off, then?" Rune declares while standing; Emma can't decide if she was oblivious to the tension in the room or she simply did not care about what the other council members had to say. Whatever the reason she gladly followed the Queen and her Enforcer out of the room and to the stables.

Regina was insanely curious, earlier when she had spoken to her sister she had said that other than the numerous tribes of Highlan Elves she could think of no other allies. Because Rune basically held the human equivalent title to Battle Master she had unwittingly allied herself with every known tribe of Dark Elves in the realm. So while the odds were in her favor, it never hurt to add more power. She looked to Rune who had a triumphant glint in her eye, "Where are we headed?" Rune jerks her head in a general direction before speaking. "We are headed to an area of the forest southwest of here. About a three days journey if we ride hard. I wouldn't want to risk a longer absence than necessary; puts too much strain on men who weren't born to lead." Regina nodded while looking at Emma from the corner of her eye. The blonde seemed totally enraptured anytime Rune spoke of her customs or beliefs, Regina couldn't help the stab of jealousy she felt toward her sister in moments like this. "This place; Does it have a name?" Emma asked; she couldn't keep the excitement out of her voice she loved to travel places with Rune; they always managed to have some fun, and the Queen being present was a bonus that had her whole body humming in excitement. Rune chuckled, "Of course it has a name. Ferngully." After a beat Rune spurred her horse and took off, the Queen shook her head and **laughed** before following suit and shouting that she was going to catch the Enforcer. Emma just sat in her saddle, with her mind a puddle of mush from hearing the Queen's laughter. The urge to hear more of it and to see Her Majesty's playful side that Rune never failed to bring out were enough to shock her out of her stupor and spur her horse in the direction she had seen the two take off.

Xxxxxx

They had made excellent time, if Rune had to guess she would say they had cut at least half a day's worth of riding out of their time. They had set up camp near a stream so they had plenty of fresh water for themselves and the horses. Rune had a feeling that the tides were shifting; something was going to happen soon. She needed to convince Red to come back to the castle with her during her next visit; it would ease her mind, if only a little. She watched with interest as her sister and Emma tried their hardest to exist in the same space while avoiding each other. Rune wasn't blind to the blonde warrior's longing glances in Regina's direction. And whether Regina was conscious of it or not, she cast the very same looks at the younger woman when her back was turned. Usually she would have allowed Regina come into her feelings in her own time; but that gnawing feeling in her gut told her that her sister did not have the luxury this time around. Her sudden remembrance of potential allies in Ferngully would help things along; Regina rarely gets to show her fun side while Emma is around. This trip would and already remedied that situation. "Would you mind telling me what it is that awaits us in Ferngully; and why my presence is needed?" Regina's voice broke in. Rune chuckled, "We are meeting fairies in Ferngully," Regina cut her off before she could continue "**Fairies?** You dragged me all the way out here to get rejected by fairies?" Her sister questioned impatiently. "These are woodland fairies; they are much different from fairy godmothers who grant wishes. They specialize in elemental magic, which we could always use to our advantage. The reason you are to meet with them is because you must meet with their elder. You would have known all this already if you weren't so impatient." Rune stated with a slight smirk. Regina rolled her eyes, "This had better be worth it."

-Enchanted Forest, Two Days Later-

To say that these last few days had been a strain on Regina was an underestimation; usually when she had been around Emma for too long she could simply retreat to her study. Now however, she did not have the opportunity for such things and the constant proximity to the woman was slowly driving her mad. The forest had started to take on a more jungle-like appearance and a climate to match, their layers of clothes added to the heat, Rune had suggested that they strip down to their under layers of clothing to keep them cool and did so herself without a problem. Emma and Regina hadn't followed suit because they were following the same line of thinking; that being the person whom they are attracted to would be wearing less clothes. And though these streams of thoughts managed to raise their body temperatures; they were doing the exact opposite of what Rune had suggested. Rune, who was riding ahead of the duo, on purpose of course, rolled her eyes and listened to the uncomfortable shifting of stuffy clothes. A few hours passed before she glanced back to see both women passed out. Sighing in frustration at their childishness she grabbed Beller and Sargon's reigns and tied them to her saddle horn. Phinn whinnied in discontent, "I know boy; hopefully they'll head my warnings next time." Rune responded while guiding them to a small creek. After cooling both women off and stripping them down to their under layers she put the back on their respective horses and headed back on the trail to Ferngully. Regina blinked her eyes blearily as she came to, the sound of running water pounded loudly in her ears. "Hey, no fair! You knew she would wake up first." A small voice whined. "No, I just know never to bet against Regina." Regina turned to the sound of her sister's voice and saw her seated under a tree and talking to her fruit bat, Kenneth, who looked terribly upset. A groan from beside her quickly grabbed her attention; she turns her head to the left and is met with sleepy jade eyes. It was a beat later that she was nose to nose with Emma; she felt her heart skip a beat before she rolled away in shock. Rune looked on amusedly as the two flew apart. "Now that you've both had your beauty rest it's time to meet our new friends. We have to go the rest of the way by foot so try not to get too distracted." Regina quickly gathered herself before striding off to catch up with Rune while Emma was still laid out on the ground with the biggest smile on her face _'I could get used to waking up to that.'_ She mused before jumping up and heading off as well.

They had been walking for about an hour and the jungle was getting thicker, Regina was just about to ask how much further they had to travel when a blue light zipping through the trees caught her eye. The small ball of light zoomed up to them before circling around Rune, who did nothing but raise an eyebrow. Then, there was a flash of bright light and a young woman was standing before them. "My, my how you've grown." The woman crooned in a bell like voice. Rune gave her a devilish grin, "It's lovely to see you as well Krista. How is life as an elder?" Krista groaned, "Not as fun as I thought it would be, though I have to say nothing is ever as fun as chasing you around. But perhaps becoming a war ally will add the spice my life seems to be missing." Regina looked at her astonished, "That's it? No need to do some weird fairy examination of my soul?" Krista looked to Regina, "I've known Rune for a long time, if you are with her, then I am with you." "Just don't get yourself killed; I want a rematch." Rune grumbled. Krista laughed, "That race was won fairly, not my fault I can fly laps around you." Rune scoffed but offered no rebuttal. Emma looked on amazed at the newest creature she'd seen, her life as a blacksmith would have never allowed her to meet people such as this; she had to thank fate for leading her down this path. Because if it hadn't she would have never met Regina.

-Enchanted Forest, Seven Months later-

The snow had fallen heavily this year; it seemed as if the world was trying to heal itself from the damage it had been taking from this war. The damage had started to scar the land and Rune hoped that they would be able to finish this soon. She spurred her stead on faster; the battles had started to become alarmingly close to where Red had decided to stay. Rune hadn't had the chance to slip away until tonight and she was determined to keep her love safe, and keeping her in the castle seemed like the best way to do so. As she breeched the clearing she saw Red standing there, with a smile on her face she quickly dismounted her heavy cape making a small thud as it touched the ground. She knew that Red hated seeing her in her armor but she was in a hurry. As she got closer to her beloved she noticed that she wasn't alone; there were only a few feet and Red standing between her and Queen Snow White. _**'It seems that we aren't the only ones who had this brilliant idea.'**_ Willow seethed. Rune's jaw clenched as she watched Red's gaze bounce between her and Snow. The silence between the three was deafening; a choice would need to be made. No one moved save for Red who's gaze was still traveling between her best friend and her love. The sound of snow crunching beneath boots drew Rune's attention from the churning in her abdomen. Red threw her arms around Rune and nuzzled the crook of her neck. "Please Art, come with us." She begged; her eyes wet with tears. She felt the body she was embracing stiffen and step away. She watched as the light that had started to return to her love's eyes slowly die out before she turned away and headed back to her horse. Instinctively Red took off after her, "Rune wait!" she shouted desperately. Rune turned to her, eyes devoid of any emotion, "You've made your choice Red. Now you must deal with the fruit it bears." There was something in her eyes now, bone chilling rage seeping out of dark grey orbs and taking hold of her soul. And Red had to wonder if she had made the right choice as she watched the dark figure that had stolen her heart disappear among the trees.

Xxxxxx

It had been two days since Rune had returned from her recruitment mission; things had obviously not gone well. Regina was worried, while Rune's added fury won them more battles it also endangered the citizens that could potentially get caught in the cross fire. She had called another council meeting because she was worried about the situation; her men had wiped out more than a third of Snow's forces but that did little to deter her remaining men. Her generals had filed in followed by Emma and Rune. Both had just come from battle and were covered in blood, Emma seemed to be just as disgusted as the rest of the council but Rune was reveling in it. _'She's most likely blood drunk.'_ Regina proposed silently. "What are we going to do?" Regina questioned. "Whatever it is we need to do it fast; the ogres aren't exactly team players. Their temper tantrums have killed more men than Snow's arrows." Emma started, "Yes and while all that is going on the golems are locked in a stalemate with **dwarves** of all things." Another General adds. Regina nodded, "There must be another way to turn thing decidedly to our favor." A puff of magic filled a corner of the room, "Oh there is dearie; would you like to know how?" Rune was out of her seat and had her blade to his throat before anyone knew what was happening. "Easy there, wouldn't want to hurt your only way out." The golden man smirked. Regina looked to her men and silently dismissed them. All of the men cautiously left the room wanting to be anywhere but in that room with the Dark One. "You were not summoned; why are you here?" Emma questioned as she moved slightly behind Rune adding another body in front of Regina. "Self-preservation." The imp answered with a shrug. "How can we win?" Regina asked suspiciously. "Simple, it's a curse. We will all be moved to a place with no magic. You will be in power and get your happy ending," he glanced at the two women glaring at him before adding "And so will they." "Your price; what is it?" Rune demanded. "Ah now my payment, it's simple really; A favor from each of you…and your father's heart." He finished looking pointedly at Regina. "Out of the question! What makes you think that we are so desperate for your help? We can win this war without you." Regina said confidently. Rumple nodded, "Indeed, you will win. But you will lose them, your father, and your sanity if you do it on your own." He paused before smiling maniacally "I wonder what you'll choose."

Everyone in the room knew of Regina's decision but before she could accept Rune interrupted "Wait, if Regina is to do this I will take her favor and owe you two instead. You will already have her father's heart. You will get nothing more from her." He smirked wickedly, "Excellent, Regina dearie you may be the only one to remember this place. Just keep that in mind.." Regina nodded "I accept your terms." Rumple jumped with glee as drew up the contract and Rune left to retrieve Henry. While they waited Rumple looked to the Queen "Poor Regina, all you've ever wanted was a family." He smirked when Regina's eyes shone with anger and Emma growled. "Not to worry dearie; we'll have that fixed in no time." Just as he finished his sentence the doors opened to reveal Henry escorted by Rune. Henry held his daughter close as tears gathered in his eyes. "All I've ever wanted is for you to be happy Regina." She sobbed as her hand plunged into his chest and grasped his heart. All of his memories flashing before their eyes as she held the organ; she pulled it out swiftly not wanting him to suffer. Rune caught him before he hit the ground and gently lowered him down. The castle started to shake as Rumple took Henry's heart from her weak grasp; Emma embraced her before she fell to her knees as she watched her sister close her father's eyes. The tremors became more violent as black clouds started to swirl in the sky. Regina turned her head and buried it in Emma's neck as she held her close. The castle was falling all around them entire wings breaking apart as the magic tore through it. Rune sits down next to the couple and grasps Regina's hand to remind herself that she isn't completely alone. The dark clouds are starting to seep into the room from underneath the door. Emma tightens her hold on Regina and presses a kiss to her temple. The magic is all around them now poised to strike like some great predator. The last thing Regina sees are Emma's beautiful green eyes. Then there is nothing but a dark void.


	13. Chapter 13- Welcome to Storybrooke

**A/N:** Welcome to Storybrooke! We have finally arrived. What journeys await our fallen heroes? We shall see. I'll try to keep the updates coming as consistently as possible but as school picks up that wait may increase; but we shall see.

* * *

-Storybrooke, 17 Years after the Curse-

Regina sighed as she entered her home; she had finished up her paper work earlier than expected so she decided to leave the office. She glanced at the clock and held in another sigh, her sister was still at her psych evaluation with Dr. Hopper. One of the many things she couldn't stand about this world was the cocktail of medications that had been poured down Rune's throat. _ 'No, not Rune anymore, its __**Riley **__now._'Regina internally reminded herself. Apparently her sister was to be cursed with a dual existence no matter where she was. According to Riley's memories, she had been diagnosed with a split personality disorder coupled with mild to severe paranoid schizophrenia during their teenage years; the medicine was supposed to help with the voices and reduce the frequency of her hallucinogenic episodes but she wasn't sure it was working. Dr. Whale wanted her to be put away because of Riley's other half's violent tendencies but Regina suspected that it was because he faced the brunt of it while he was off the clock; needless to say the whole town knew of her sister's condition but they still seemed to prefer Riley's company over hers. Regina didn't want to admit it but she was lonely; when she had woken up in this place it wasn't hard to find Rune…**Riley**, so she had went in search of Emma or whatever her name may have been in this realm. Seventeen long years had passed since then and Regina still hadn't managed to locate her blonde warrior and she was desperately hoping that she had terrible luck and they just kept barely missing each other, _'Wait, since when has she been mine?' _Regina asked herself confusedly. Then, the strangest thought popped into her head; she dug through her purse in search of her cell phone. Finding it she places her bag on the counter and scroll through the contacts finds the number she needed and hit send, placing the phone to her ear she hear ringing on the other line. By the third ring she heard someone pick up; taking a deep breath Regina starts "Mr. Gold, I would like you to do something for me." _"Ah, Madame Mayor how can I be of assistance?"_ She can practically hear his smile over the phone. "I would like you to help me adopt a child; a baby boy preferably." _"I don't believe that will be a problem be at my shop tomorrow so we may discuss the details any of course my payment."_ He didn't even wait to hear her agree before ending the call. Regina placed her phone down and headed to the den, she needed a drink.

Riley exhaled slowly as she sat in Dr. Hopper's office; she hated it in there, it was too stuffy. Finding an object to settle her gaze on she waited for him to collect his paper and begin the session. "So, how are you feeling today Riley?" The question was simple enough but it never failed to agitate her. "Good if you exclude the fact that I'm trying to prove that I am not a danger to society." Riley responded. "Dr. Whale believes that you need to be monitored for your own safety as well as everyone else's." _**'Yes, he seems to have quite the opinion of us.'**_ Riley stiffens in her seat at the sound of the voice. The good doctor's gaze sweeps over her before returning to his notepad. "Have you had any episodes lately?" Riley's mind flashes back to the mirror incident that morning, shaking her head to clear her mind of those furious grey eyes she looks up to see Dr. Hopper nod before scribbling something down on is notepad. "That's good; it seems we may have finally found the correct dosage." It seems he misinterpreted her gesture but she does nothing to correct it. _**'When are you going to tell this insect that you are no longer taking your medicine?'**_ the voice taunts. Riley shakily runs a hand through her hair; willing herself to stay calm. "Have you been writing down your episodes in a journal like I suggested?" Unable to speak at the moment Riley simply nods. "Fantastic," Archie encourages as he scribbles down more notes "Now has your other half made any appearances lately? Not just physically during your black-outs, but seeing her while you're still conscious." Once again she is brought back to that morning, after clearing her throat she replies "No, it hasn't." A dark chuckle resounds through her mind _**'Lies, lies, and more lies; what would Gina think if she found out?'**_ the voice tormented. Her grip on the chair increases until her knuckles are bone white, _'Stay calm, just play along until he gives you the ok; you need to keep it together so you can stay with Gina. She needs you to be there for her.'_ Riley thinks frantically. "You never give your other personality a gender; you don't even have a name for it. Why is that?" Dr. Hopper probes as he unknowingly interrupts Riley's inner tirade. "It can't have a name or a gender; if it does that makes it real. I don't want it to be real. Before you say anything yes, I do know that the other person inside of me is real. Knowing and wanting are two different things." Dr. Hopper nods. "Well that's all the time we have. I'll see you next month." Knowing she is safe for another month Riley breathes a sigh of relief before leaving the office. _**'You and I both know that our freedom is only temporary; and you lied again, you know exactly what my name is. Not to mention my gender.'**_ "Will you shut up?!" Riley shouts, looking around to find the street mercifully empty so no one witnessed her outburst. Rubbing her temples she starts walking in the direction of her sister's house.

* * *

The sound of the front door opening awoke her; she slowly became more aware of her surroundings as footsteps came closer to the study. "Looks like you got into the celebratory scotch without me." Riley's voice sounded from above her. Regina's eyes tried to focus on Riley's face but before she could she felt herself being put in a sitting position, she waited for her sister to sit down in the space previously occupied by her head before plopping back down. Her actions earned her a hearty chuckle before she felt fingers begin to run through her hair. The effect was immediate and Regina felt all the days stresses begin to melt away. They were silent for a few minutes before Regina spoke up, "I think; no I know I want to have a child." "Really? And what brought this on?" Riley's curiosity was unsurprising, but welcomed. "I want a family; I want a chance to make a difference in someone's life." "You know, usually when people get lonely they buy a puppy or some other pet; not a kid." "You've got two birds at home, what does that say about you?" Regina retorts quickly. Riley chortled before becoming serious, "Having a child is a huge responsibility. It's going to be full of sleepless nights, dirty diapers, and temper tantrums. You sure about this Gina?" Regina looked up into concerned grey eyes and smiled, "It will be one of the few things that I know without a doubt; besides it's not like you won't be around to help." Riley put on her best shocked face, "Well I never; Regina Mills are you roping me into another one of your adventures?" Regina's eye roll was the only response. "I suppose I'll stick around to help you with the little tyke; it takes a village after all." Regina sat up and turned to her sister gratitude clear in her eyes but Riley cut in before she could say anything; "Don't thank me just yet Gina, I'm looking forward to causing loads of trouble with my new partner in crime."

Xxxxxx

It was cold, she swore she could see her breath but she knew she was probably just being dramatic. She had no idea what she did in another life to deserve the one she had been living now, but she was sure it was something awful. It's the only reason karma had so much fun making her its bitch. She had thought that she had earned some kind of reprieve, it had all seemed so perfect, she met a nice guy he treated her well, they fell in love –more like she did—and she finally thought that karma believed that she had suffered enough and was ready for a new life. Then the other shoe dropped, and of course "Mr. Right" ran off leaving her holding the cookie jar. Emma placed a hand on her stomach; her little bundle of joy had been very active as of late. She knew that she couldn't provide for this child and that fact made her heart ache; but it deserved a better life than she could ever be able to provide. She was pulled out of her thoughts by the growing dark stain on her cot. Her water just broke…_ 'Shit.'_

* * *

-Boston, Ten Years Later-

She hated heels; they were like little torture chambers designed for feet. She had to thank her keen instincts for the foresight to boot the guy's car before heading in. She expected him to run, sure, but she did not anticipate him flipping the table during said escape attempt. She took her time when approaching him; his actions had caused a scene so she figured she'd play it up for the growing audience. She looked on in amusement as he tried in vain to speed off into the night, "Maybe instead of trying to wine and dine me, you should have used that money to help out your family." The sneer on his face should have been a heads up but Emma didn't have time to prepare. "What do you know about family?" he growled out. He had a faint look of superiority in his eyes, like he was boasting that he **had** a family that he could treat like crap and she had nothing. She shoved him none too gently against his car as she hand cuffed him, her voice was devoid of emotion as she answered, "Nothing." although it was more to herself than to him. Emma sighed as she entered her apartment, however she had pictured herself celebrating her 28th birthday, this was most certainly not it. A fleeting thought of purchasing a cupcake for herself had crossed her mind but she shook off that thought just as quickly as it came; that was a little too desperate. A knock at the door gained her attention; she ran a hand through her hair as she strode over to the door. She pulled it open and was met with only air _'Well that was—'_"Hey, down here." A voice called. She looked down and was shocked to see a boy looking up at her; he smiled before pushing past her and into the apartment. "Can I help you kid? Where's your mom?" His smile seemed as if he was anticipating the question. "Yeah, you can help. You're my mom." Emma's heart stopped, her moth opened and closed but words failed to come out. "You give up a baby boy ten years ago?" Emma barely managed a nod, _'There is no way this is really happening.'_ She thinks in utter disbelief. "Well, that was me. I need you to come home with me, you've got to help. The town I live in; its cursed." Emma's eyes narrow in confusion, "Where do you live exactly?" "Storybrooke; I live in Storybrooke, Maine."

-Earlier That Day-

When Regina woke up in the morning she had the strangest feeling stirring in her belly, which was odd but she immediately dismissed it. Despite the peculiar beginning to her day she was expecting everything to go as it usually did: wake up, shower, get dressed, have a cup of coffee, make breakfast for Henry, wait 5 minutes before waking him up, Riley comes over to walk him to the bus, go to work. Wash, rinse, and repeat. Regina made it to waking her son up when her morning routine veered off course. Why? Because Henry was not in his room; Henry's bed was empty when Regina entered his bedroom, as she ran her hands over the sheets she could tell that it had been for some time. She fought off the urge to panic and run around the house shouting for him. Taking a deep breath she calmly strode out of the boy's room and searched the house. She was unsurprised that he wasn't in the house, there was only one other place he could be. 'I'm going to have to remind him that just because his aunt said he could come over anytime doesn't really mean anytime.' Regina mentally chided. It wasn't the first time she had found his bed empty but Riley usually called to inform her that Henry had made his way over to her home. Both of them had tried to discourage his sneaking out but in the end Riley gave him a key to her house and renovated a guest bedroom into one that fit his tastes so he could feel at home there when Regina had to work late. She descended the stairs swiftly, and picked up her keys and rode over to Riley's house mentally preparing the lecture she would give Henry and Riley of she was in on it. The two were thick as thieves so she wouldn't be surprised if her sister was. The drive seemed shorter than usual but again Regina brushed off the oddness. She walked up to the front door and rang the bell, _'Might as well give him a warning before I bring down the hammer.'_ Regina thought amusedly. The door swings open and Regina is greeted by the sight of Ruby Lucas wearing her sister's oversized hockey jersey. "Oh; good morning Madame Mayor." Ruby states nervously. Regina almost feels bad for the girl, who seemed as if she was going to die of nervousness. Almost. "Good morning Miss Lucas. Would you happen to know if my sister is awake?" she asks haughtily annoyed by the younger girl's presence. The sound of pots and pans clattering travels from the kitchen before Ruby has the chance to answer. Brushing by the young woman Regina strides into the kitchen to see Riley cooking eggs and frying up some bacon, "Who was at the door?" Riley queries without looking at the other occupant in the kitchen. "I was." Regina states, taking pleasure in the way Riley subtly jumps at the sound of her voice. Riley looks over her shoulder "Madame Mayor, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Riley jokes. "The reason I have decided to grace you with my presence is because you seem to be harboring a runaway." Regina states playing along; the happy atmosphere drains away slowly as Riley's brow furrows in confusion. Turning off the stove Riley faces her sister. "Unless Ruby decided that she's rather live with me, there's no one else here; I check the scamp's bedroom every morning." That sinking feeling in Regina's stomach increases tenfold. "What?" Regina feels as if she's floating away and distractedly wonders if this is what it feels like to have an out of body experience. "He's not here Regina." Is the last thing she hears before everything fades to black.

Riley barely had time to catch Regina before she hit her head on the counter top. She swore under her breath as she got a better grip on her sister and hoisted her up into her arms. Riley quickly made her way to the den where she laid Regina on the couch. She was in disbelief that her sister had just fainted and her nephew was now missing. _'Maybe he's in his castle.'_ A glance at the clock lowered the possibility as it was still pretty early. "Ruby! Get in here; I need your help." Ruby made it to the den in record time and stood in stunned silence as she took in the scene before her, the mayor looked like she fainted and Riley's normally tanned skin looked to be losing more color by the minute. "What happened?" she asked slightly panicked by Riley's appearance. "Regina fainted; Henry's missing, I need you to stay with her while I go look for him. He couldn't have gotten far. I'll be back." Without waiting for a response Riley sprints up the stairs changes into more appropriate clothing before bolting out the door. The first place she checked was Henry's castle; she had refrained from going there because that was the boy's private place to think but now was an exception. She was slightly out of breath as she reached the castle but there was no sign of her nephew, or evidence that he had been there at all. Worry was clawing at her heart as she headed to the sheriff's station. Normally she hated being anywhere near Graham but she would have to stomach her dislike for him in order to find Henry. It didn't take long to convince the sheriff to help, especially since all there usually had to do was wait for Pongo to get loose or a cat to get stuck in a tree. Graham had agreed to search the town while Riley search the woods for the boy; with luck they'd have him found, grounded, and in his room by midday at the latest.

* * *

They had been on the road for nearly two hours and were almost to their destination; Emma glanced at her passenger to find that he had his attention solely focused on a rather old looking book. Fixing her eyes back on the road she decides to ask him about the strange tome. "What you got there kid?" Henry glanced up at his birthmother and looked back to his book, "It's a book that tells the story of the curse that the Evil Queen put on the town." Emma tried not to look skeptical but failed. They were coming up on the town sign so Emma decided to change the subject to something more relevant-and realistic- "So where do you live?" Henry shrugged but after Emma's glare he reluctantly gave her directions. She pulled up to the mansion with a look of awe as she parked the car. Henry exited the car swiftly and brushed past a distraught looking woman. It was clear by her body language that he had said something to upset her. "You're Henry's birthmother?" she heard an angelic voice ask, as their eyes met there seemed to be some shock and recognition in the other woman's eyes but Emma couldn't get her brain to function properly enough to examine the reason.

Regina was pacing through the house, night had fallen and there was still no sign of her son. Graham's assistance had turned out to be unsurprisingly useless and Riley had run herself ragged searching for him in the woods. Regina had been worried that her sister would cross over the town line but Riley made it back to the Mayoral Mansion with her memory intact. She looked worriedly over to her sister who was sitting in an arm chair, doing the deep breathing exercises Archie had taught her. Riley's failure to locate her nephew had nearly brought on another episode. Riley's eyes snapped to the window startling Regina; she followed her gaze to see a hideous yellow bug pull up to her house. With one last lingering glace to her sister she leaves the house to investigate. She is barely out of the front door before Henry bumps into her, "I don't need you anymore. I found my real mom." Is all he says as he pushes past her and heads into the house. She tries to ignore the feeling of her heart aching at his words as she turns to assess the woman who brought her son home. "You're Henry's birthmother?" she asked in disbelief. Her gaze swept over the oddly familiar body and her heart stopped when she found herself staring into the same green eyes that had been haunting her for the last twentyseven years.


	14. Chapter 14- Something Missing

**A/N: **It's getting harder to find time to write this but I refuse to give up on this story. Anyway thanks for the feedback guys you make my day!

**Disclaimer:** I own nada, with the exception of Rune and her critters.

* * *

Regina let out a frustrated sigh that sounded more like a growl than anything else. She had just gotten her son back only to find him gone again in the morning. Riley didn't call, so she knew the boy wasn't with his aunt; that only left the room Emma had rented upon her suggestion. A suggestion that she was now regretting, she gathered her things and headed to the car; keeping in mind that she would need to stop by the sheriff's office and request his assistance…again. It didn't take much for her to convince the man, his day was probably spent waiting for cats to get stuck in trees. The ride over to Granny's B&B was short and silent. After finding what room the blonde was staying, she marched up the stairs and pounded on the door. She waited for a few minutes but when she received no answer she knocked again. She heard a muffled groan followed by some stumbling coming through the other side of the door; Regina takes a half step back as the door starts to swing open. What was behind that door was something that Regina would never be able to forget. There in the doorway stood Emma in all her scantily clad glory, looking absolutely ravishing. Only the sound of Graham shifting his weight was enough to dislodge the vulgar thoughts floating around in Regina's mind. "Sheriff, I think it would be best if you waited downstairs. I can take care of things from here." She suggested sharply while moving to block his view of the blonde. Graham hesitated before consenting, leaving the two women to chat about Henry's disappearing act.

Emma was probably experiencing the most peaceful sleep she had ever had, she had been dreaming of deep brown eyes and tinkling laughter. Her blissful sleep was interrupted by incessant banging. As Emma slowly became aware of her surroundings she realized that the banging was actually rather forceful knocking at her room's door. She glanced at the clock and groaned. _'Who the hell is up this early?'_ she wondered. When the knocking didn't stop she rolled out of bed and groggily made her way to the door. When the door swung open she was shocked to see the Mayor standing in front of her. She watched as the woman's gaze swept across her body and a slight blush rose to her cheeks as she remembered that she did not wear pants to bed. _'You have got to be kidding me!'_ Emma griped. Movement in the corner of her eye pulled her attention away from the dazed Mayor and caught sight of the sheriff enjoying the show as well. The floorboards creaked in protest as he shifted his weight to get a better look. The sound quickly gained the Mayor's attention and she shared some heated words with the man, she couldn't really hear what the woman was saying; her eyes were too busy surveying the sinfully beautiful body capturing her vision. Emma's estimation on Regina's bra size was interrupted by the woman herself. "Miss Swan, where is my son?" the question was enough to shock Emma out of her less than pure thoughts of the woman. "What? You mean the kid wasn't at home this morning?" she asked, slightly unnerved by the boys second disappearance in just as many days. Gesturing to her empty room Emma states, "He hasn't been here." "Obviously." Regina sniffed. "I could help you look though" Emma offered, "You couldn't locate your pants, I'm not sure how helpful you'd be in attempting to find my son." was Regina's reply. As Regina turns to leave Emma feels an unusual amount of desperation claw at her. "I would know where to look!" she blurts out. Regina slowly turns back to look at her, "Finding people I mean; it's kind of my specialty." She was submitted to another cursory glance before Regina once again turned to leave. "Just don't forget to put on pants before you leave Miss Swan."

Xxxxxxx

Emma sighs; the only thing she had found on the kid's computer was the website he had used to find her and the credit card that had been used to pay for said information. It had taken some effort but she had managed to convince Regina not to march up to the school and verbally assault Henry's school teacher: a Miss Mary Margret Blanchard. The look on the brunette's face was enough to tell her that there was some bad blood between the two, so on her way to the school she mentally prepared herself to face the person that had obviously gotten under Regina's skin. She glanced at her watch and noted the time, she didn't know when school started here but she was going to find Henry's teacher. She saw what appeared to be a Catholic School and made her way inside. The office was not hard to locate, within minutes she found herself talking to a short blonde holding a stack of paperwork. "Excuse me; I'm looking for a Mary Margret Blanchard. I was told that she works here." Emma said while her eyes scanned the premises for anyone who looked like they could fit the name. "Oh, she's in class right now," the young woman states before looking to the clock, "However, her class is due for recess any minute now. Her classroom is down the next hall to the right. It'll be the third door." Nodding the bounty hunter follows the directions and stands in the classroom doorway and watches the woman clean up. _'She sure does fit her name; this woman looks like she belongs in a convent not a classroom.'_ As if hearing her thoughts the teacher looks to the doorway. "Oh my, I'm sorry; I didn't notice you there. How can I help you?" Emma straightens up and clears her throat "You're Mary Margret correct?" The brunette nods. "Well, I'm here because you gave one of your students your credit cards; Henry Mills to be exact." The look of surprise that crosses the teacher's face seemed genuine but Emma was not going to take any risks. Her eyes followed the petite woman as she rifled through her purse. Mary Margret looked up at Emma with a rueful smile on her face, "He was always a clever boy…" Emma was perceptive enough to read between the lines; Henry had stolen her credit card, rubbing her brow Emma asks "Do you know where he could be?" "I have an idea yes, but I don't know who you are so I don't think it'd be a good idea to tell you." Mary Margret replies cautiously. "Oh! Right," Emma says "My name is Emma Swan, I'm Henry's birthmother. He uh..he used your credit card on a website that helps people find their real parents." Mary Margret nods and purses her lips in thought. "He may be at his castle; but I'd check his aunt's house first. They are quite close," she grabs a scrap of paper and starts scribbling on it. "I wrote down the aunt's address and directions to his castle. I hope it helps." she states while handing over the slip of paper. Nodding Emma says a quick thanks but stops just short of the door and looks back at the teacher. "He has this book…it full of fairy tales. You wouldn't happen to know where he got it would you?" a strange look passes over the other woman's face before she responds. "Yes, I gave it to him." She looks as if she wants to say more but thinks better of it. "You should go; if he's not at his aunt's house she'll probably help you find him."

* * *

Emma had passed Regina's home a few houses ago and apparently her sister lived a ways down the road. _'For the convenience I'd guess; if they are as close as Ms. Blanchard is to be believed that is.'_ Emma mentally noted, but nothing that the young woman said had triggered her "super power". Early in life however, Emma learned that there was a difference from what people believed to be true and the actual truth. Her contemplating was cut short as she came upon the specified address; the difference between the Mayor's home and her sisters was blatant. While Regina's home looked modern and professional, her sister's home had a more rustic appearance. Parking her bug near the curb Emma walks up to the front door and rings the bell. She waited a few minutes but when she received no answer she rang again. More minutes ticked by before the door swung open. Emma tried to hide her shock at the sibling's appearance; her hair was styled into a rebellious faux hawk and she could see tattoos on the woman's tan skin from her neck to her forearms. She stood there in shocked silence for what seemed like hours. "Can I help you?" the woman asked. Shaking herself out of her stupor Emma replies with the only question that is currently running through her mind, "**You** are Regina's sister?" the woman in question laughed "Indeed I am. I was adopted; Riley Mills at your service." Emma feels a stab of jealousy after learning the reason Regina had a sister that looked nothing like her. She remembers the years spent in the system hoping to be picked like some kind of puppy. Brushing off the bitter feelings Emma forces a smile on her face. "Mind if we talk inside? I have some personal questions and Miss Blanchard said that you could be of some assistance." She looked on with interest as Riley's face darkened slightly as she mentioned the school teacher. _'So the bad blood isn't just between Regina and Mary Margret; interesting.'_ Emma made a note to examine the sisters' reaction to the seemingly lovely school teacher later. Riley's carefree aura changed to one of suspicion but she stepped aside and allowed the blonde entrance. "We can talk in my study." Riley said leaving no room for argument as she strode down the hall, Emma struggling to keep up with the pace. Riley's study was interesting; it seemed chaotic and yet there was a certain order to it, it was the embodiment of an oxymoron. "Sit anywhere you'd like," Riley said while gesturing around the room and taking a seat herself. "So, since we're getting personal I suppose asking your name wouldn't be out of the question?" she quires. _'What is it with me and forgetting to introduce myself?'_ Emma silently berates herself. "Sorry, I'm Emma Swan; Henry's birthmother." Before she can continue the other woman interrupted "Ah, yes. I caught a glimpse of you the other night when Gina invited you inside. Sorry I didn't stick around long enough to introduce myself I had some, ah, business to attend to." _**'Oh, so now I'm just business am I? We'll see about that; in the meantime though, I'd love to spend some quality time with our guest.'**_ Riley's heart seized in her chest before going into overtime; whatever the Other wanted with this woman could not be good. Emma would have witnessed the look of misery on Riley's face if her mind had not drifted off to the exchange she had with Regina once the tanned woman mentioned it.

_~Flashback~_

"How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?" the heavenly voice asked. Emma cleared he throat and attempted to wipe the dumbfounded look off her face, she was sure she failed, before responding. "Got anything stronger?" _'That sounded way more suave in my head…'_ much to her relief however the brunette smirked and headed inside, taking that as a hint Emma quickly follows her into the house. Emma is in awe as she takes in the expansive mansion with wide eyes. "Right this way Miss…" "Swan, Emma Swan." Emma supplies as her son's adoptive mother trails off. Entering what looked to be a home office the woman turns toward her, "Allow me to introduce myself, I am Regina Mills; the current mayor of the sleepy town known as Storybrooke." Emma nods and extends her hand and tries not to jump at the woman's seemingly electrifying touch. "Nice to meet you," Emma manages to choke out. _'What the hell was that?!'_ "Will your husband be joining us?" a dark look passes over the woman's beautiful face before she responds, "I have no husband to speak of," She was going to say more but the sound of rushed footsteps and a door slamming quickly followed by the loud peal of tires on asphalt interrupts them. "And my sister just left." Regina continues smoothly. Emma can't explain the slight feeling of relief that comes over her as she hears that the mayor is not married but brushes it off as the mayor hands her a drink. She takes a sip and lets out a contented hum as the alcohol burns its way down her throat. "Now, Miss Swan I don't know what you were intending to do but let me remind you that you asked for a closed adoption. You were to have no part in Henry's life, and that fact still holds," Regina continued ignoring the outraged look on the blonde's face "Do not miss understand me; I am very grateful to you for bringing him back. However, I believe it would be best if you left in the morning."

_~End Flashback~_

Emma shook her head as she thought back to the previous night, what had followed that suggestion was not what she had expected. She couldn't ever remember being so argumentative in her life, there was just something about the woman that made her feel as if she was about to combust, and she had only known the mayor for less than a day. The feelings were odd but Emma kept brushing them off. She was sure that it was just stress, that's all it could be…the only reason that made sense. "You should check Henry's castle. I doubt he'd try to leave town again so we don't need to send out the search dogs." Emma looked up, internally grateful for the interruption. "Yeah, his teacher suggested I check there as well. I'm new here as you know, she gave me directions but I'd feel better if I had a local with me. You wouldn't mind tagging along would you?" "NO," Riley practically shouted before clearing her throat, "I mean I can't I have to prepare for class." "Class? Your nephew is missing!" Emma exclaimed. "I am a professor, and unfortunately Henry's disappearing is happening too often for me to cancel class. Go to his castle, I'm sure he's there." Emma absorbed the information she had just been given and stood up slowly, "Thank you for your time, I'll see myself out." Riley nodded and watched the blonde exit her study.

* * *

Riley was freaking out; she had felt the beginnings of a hallucination since Henry disappeared but she was able to hold it at bay. That was until Emma had come by looking for Henry, she suggested checking his castle while she felt like she could assist properly, and as soon the blonde drove off the dam broke; she felt what little control she had slipping, this was the longest she had gone without taking her meds. She had started taking them again when Regina decided to add another member to their family but had stopped around the time Henry turned nine. It had been a year and she thought she didn't need them anymore, the fact that she didn't feel like she was herself or even really exist when they took effect also played heavily into her decision not to take them. A decision that she was now regretting as the world seemed to shimmer around her; she quickly turned her notebook to a blank page and closed her eyes as the world swirled around her.

_The sun was beating down on her, in the distance she could see enemy troops gathered prepared to fight. Her body hummed with anticipation for the impending battle she looked to her right as she heard an approaching horse. Emma was looking immaculate in her shining silver armor, her blue mantle fluttering in the gentle breeze. "It seems too nice a day for a war to be starting; don't you think?" Rune smirked darkly, "This war started long ago, they just more players to it." Ginovio's cry broke all conversation as he swooped down, "Her Majesty has given her orders. The negotiations have fallen through. We are to engage the enemy and bring home victory in her name. She will be joining us in the camp within the week." Rune felt Willow push to the surface, she allowed her some room to maneuver but she had to stay in control. She looked over to her Captain and nodded. Emma cleared her throat, "Listen up men! We are riding into battle, remember it is not only The Queen you are fighting to protect but you family; your friends; future generation are all counting on you. Make them proud." Without another word Rune spurs her horse forward leading the charge, the opposing forces were clearly unprepared for the tidal wave that crashed down upon them. Rune hastily descends from her stead and barrels into an unsuspecting soldier, her blood feels charged as she hears the crunch of his jaw bone shattering against her fist. Not even giving him time to fall she snaps his neck. A cry of outrage comes from her left, she turns to see a brute of a man with a battle axe headed straight for her. She dodges his first few swings before she catches him off guard with a blow to his ribs; the man stumbles just enough to give her an opening. Rune lunges for the axe and successfully takes hold. As expected the hulking man tries to snatch it back, as soon as his arms jerk back Rune pushes forward the result breaks the man's nose. Yelling and distracted by his pain Rune wretches the axe from his hands and embeds it in his neck. The man's blood spatters her face and armor, and she hears Willow howl for more. Looking to her left she sees Emma extracting her blade from someone's chest. Their eyes meet and Rune laughs forebodingly, they both knew the battle was won even though more blood was to be spilled._

Riley gasps for air as she regains her senses; her grabs the pen and shakily scribbles down what she had seen before sliding the notebook into her worn leather briefcase. She stands and collects the rest of her notes for the day's lecture and heads to her car. _**'Lovely way to start the day, wouldn't you agree?'**_ Riley's mind briefly drifts to the pills in her medicine cabinet before she shakes the image out of her head and drives to the lecture hall.

* * *

Emma was able to reach the wooden castle quite easily thanks to Mary Margret's directions. From a distance she could tell that it was occupied, she thought back to what Riley had mentioned about Henry's disappearances, she knew her habit of running away couldn't be genetic so there had to be some other reason' and she intended to find out what it was.

A book..all of this was because of a book. Not even one he owned, but one that was given to him by his teacher. All the running away, acting out, and obviously cold demeanor toward the woman who raised him his entire life, was because of a book of **fairy tales**. Emma sighed and rubbed her temples, she had been tossing around the young boy's plea for her to stay for over an hour. She knew that she shouldn't be contemplating it, but this place had a certain pull that she couldn't truly bring herself to fight. A quick staccato of knocks jarred her thinking. Emma made her way to the door and opened it; she was shocked to see the increasingly familiar face of the Mayor on the other side. "Glad to see that you were able to locate your pants this time." Regina quipped. "What's wrong? Has Henry run away again?" she asked slightly panicked. "No need to worry Miss Swan, Henry is perfectly fine. He is at home in his room. I am merely here to thank you for your efforts with this. You can enjoy them on your trip back to Boston." The Mayor raises a basket of fresh red apples. Emma's blood sparked, "It's clear that Henry is not fine because you can't seem to keep him in your house. The fact that his little…**escape attempts**, are common place says that much. I think I'm going to stick around for a while, make sure he really is alright. And maybe if I'm lucky I'll find out what's really going on." Without even grabbing the offered "gift" Emma slams the door. On the other side of the door Regina stands shocked at the events that had just transpired. Sure they hadn't exactly gotten off on the right foot but she was banking on Emma's kindhearted nature to make amends. Clearly she had been wrong. _'Of course she would be different, everyone else had been affected by the curse why would she be an exception?'_ Regina thought bitterly. It was clear that this was not** her** Emma, but an imposter just as Riley was a mere echo of Rune. She turned around and headed for the stairs; and, not for the first time, felt totally alone in this world that was supposed to bring her untold happiness…


	15. Chapter 15- Struggles of the Mind

**A/N:** Thanks for the follows and the reviews; I really enjoy hearing your opinions :) I have recently begun to study Literary Trauma Theory in class, and the subject has intrigued me. In their own way a lot of the characters have experienced trauma be it physical, emotional or psychological. So I will be attempting to integrate some of what I've learned into this story to help it continue in the direction I want it to go. So unfortunately thing will get worse for a few characters before it gets better. Sorry about the wait. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Several days had passed since Regina's confrontation with Emma, now she sat in her office unable to focus on anything. Emma's attitude change was still a shock to her, but now that shock was coupled with anger. Henry's attitude towards her was declining more rapidly than before and she still had no idea where this animosity had come from. Regina rubbed her temples and glanced at the clock sitting on her desk; 1:15. _'Riley should be wrapping up her afternoon lecture; I bet she'd love some lunch.'_ Regina stood up abruptly from her chair, determined to not let the effects of the curse get to her. Grabbing her keys she strode through the door and told her secretary to forward all important calls to her cell—not that anything like that would happen of course. Nothing changed here. As Regina drove off in the direction of Storybrooke's community college she failed to notice the hand on the clock tower twitch for a moment before returning to its motionless state.

Regina arrived at the lecture hall with enough time to catch the end of her sister's lesson. "As we can see the one of the main reasons the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt not only thrived but prospered is because of their close proximity to rivers, which in turn helped their agricultural abilities." Riley paused and her eyes met Regina's, smirking she glances at her wristwatch. "That's all I have for you today, don't forget to read chapters 4 and 6 in your textbooks before Friday." Some of the students groaned before making their mass exodus out of the hall. Regina had to quickly step to the side to avoid being trampled by the seemingly mindless horde of college students. Both women watched as the last students trickled out of the room. Regina turned and descended down the stairs to speak to Riley as she packed up. "So, are you free for lunch?" Riley pauses in her supply gathering and glances at her, "Sorry I can't, I happen to have an important lunch date." Riley places her notes in the briefcase and grabs her jacket off the hanger. Regina tries to fight off the rejection she feels, she was barely able to keep her voice from shaking while she asked "Oh really, who are you meeting up with?" Riley looked at her watch and smirked. "The Mayor of course; we're supposed to be meeting at Granny's." A bark of laughter left Regina as she hits Riley's arm playfully "You know, if you hang out there anymore I think that waitress will start thinking you have a thing for her." At that Riley blushed furiously before exiting the hall quickly followed by a smirking Regina. The sisters arrived at the diner a few minutes later and were greeted by the head waitress, and Riley's girlfriend, Ruby. "Riley, Regina hey! You guys sticking around for lunch or is it going to be to-go?" Regina, who had been looking around the establishment, saw a familiar head of blonde hair and quickly cut in before Riley could reply, "Here is fine, we're both on break." Ruby smiled and nodded, "Alright then, go ahead and take a seat and I'll be with you in a moment." She gave Riley a small smile before heading back into the kitchen. _**'She used to do that all the time. Secret smiles, shy kisses, whispered promises… it may be a blessing you cannot fully remember.'**_ "Riley? Riley, are you ok?" Regina asked worriedly. She had noticed the far off look in her sister's eyes, usually nothing good came of it. Riley shook off the inner monologue and smiled at the Mayor, "Yeah I'm fine, mind just got away from me for a bit." Regina looked at her skeptically before nodding and heading to their usual booth. "Yes well, do try to make sure your fantasizing is discreet." Riley balked at the accusation but chose not to comment as she followed the olive skinned woman.

* * *

Emma woke up later than intended, she knew it was because of her dream but the dream was already slipping through the cracks of her subconscious the more she tried to recall it. Now all she was left with were the sound of hoof beats, metal clanging against metal, and the sweet smell of fresh apples. She cast a curious glance at the clock; 12:45 greeted her in bright red lettering. Groaning in frustration at waking after noon she dresses quickly and heads down the stairs, "Did you have a restful night?" a kind voice asked. Emma turned to face the speaker and was greeted by the gentle face of Granny. Emma gave the woman a small smile before replying "One of the best, do you happen to know of any place to eat? I'm starved." Granny chuckled, "I'm sure you are. Just look at you, nothing but skin and bone! Worse than Regina was when she was on that ridiculous diet; as if she needed it." That statement got Emma's attention instantly. "You know Regina?" "Well of course I do, she's the Mayor after all." Emma shook her head "No, not like that. I mean you know her personally?" Granny nodded. "She's practically my granddaughter-in-law; how could I not know her personally?" Emma's heart sank, although she _'Of course she'd have someone, just because she didn't have a husband didn't mean she wasn't seeing anyone— _Emma's thoughts trailed off as she heard Granny rambling, "I mean honestly that sister of hers is totally oblivious, and I know my granddaughter's way too shy to bring it up..hmm I'll have to give Regina a call…" Granny trailed off for a moment before returning her attention to Emma. "My diner is down the road, you can get a good meal for a decent price, if you'll excuse me I need to write something down before I forget it." With a slight wave goodbye Granny walked off in what Emma guessed was the backroom. Shaking off the odd sense of relief that had come over her after hearing that there was still a possibility that Regina could be single, Emma walked out the door and took her time walking to the diner. As she walked, she started to feel an odd sense of familiarity creep up on her everything about this place seemed as if she was always meant to be here. Like the last piece in a puzzle fitted snuggly into its rightful place, and it made absolutely no sense. Emma racked her brain trying to recall if she had heard of this town before in passing but nothing came to her, as she was trying to figure out why this place seemed to hold some kind of significance to her, her thoughts were scrambled as she felt a brief burst of wind quickly followed by a burning pain in her face.

Groaning and rolling on to her back Emma sits up slowly and looks for the object that she had tripped over, a loud bark gained her attention but she had no time to defend herself from what could be interpreted as apology licks. "Dodger! Down boy!" the voice was enough to distract the dog long enough for Emma to put some distance between her and the furry beast wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. "I'm really sorry about that, he's just excitable, and seeing as you're new…" the voice trailed off and Emma glanced up to see a familiar looking young woman. "It's fine, I should have been paying closer attention to where I was headed. I know I've seen you at the B&B a lot, do you rent a room there?" Emma asked curiously. The younger brunette blushed for an unknown reason, "Yeah, my Granny owns the B&B so I've always had a room there..You're Emma aren't you?" Emma nodded looking slightly shocked; this made the other woman laugh. "Don't look so surprised that I know who you are. Storybrooke is a small town and you happened to speak to my best friend and girlfriend in less than 48 hours. Oh; I'm Ruby by the way." The younger woman stuck her hand out in greeting. Emma smiled and grasped the offered hand; another loud bark drew their attention to a rather indignant looking Jack Russell. Smiling widely Ruby turned her attention back to the blonde, "And this handsome fellow is Dodger."

Xxxxxx

Emma had walked with Ruby and her canine companion to the diner once she found out that's where they were headed. Emma was wondering where the four legged fellow would go once they went inside, but her unvoiced question was answered when he reared up on his hind legs licked her hand and trotted off. Ruby laughed at the confusion clearly written on Emma's face, "He's quite the gentleman; he makes it his job to ensure I get to work ok if his owner can't walk with me." Emma nods and holds the door open for the younger woman. "Who's his owner," She questions as she sees the dog strut down the opposite sidewalk. "Riley Mills." Emma's head quickly snapped to Ruby's direction, "You know Riley?" "Yeah, we're this town's resident lesbian couple." was the amused reply. "So, that would mean that you know her sister, Regina, right?" Ruby's brow furrowed, "Yes…why?" "I need to know what her deal is; half the people I've talked to are scared at the mere mention of her name." Ruby snorted, "That's because half of this town is full of idiots." "So you're calling your best friend an idiot?" a slurred voice interrupted. Ruby rolled her eyes, "Yes Leroy, Mary Margret is an idiot for being scared of Regina. She's never done anything to warrant that from anyone. Not to mention she's a kick ass Mayor." "You're only saying that because you have the honor of sleeping with that sister of hers, crazy as she is I'm sure she's a fantastic lay." The drunkard goaded while wriggling his eyebrows. Ruby growled at the implication and looked ready to march over to him and punch him into next week. Seeing that this could potentially turn ugly, Emma decided that she'd better step in before things got physical. "Hey, why don't we all just take a step back and cool off. I think we all just need to take a few calming breaths before we do anything that we'd regret later. Yeah?" Leroy broke the staring contest first mumbling a 'whatever' before downing the rest of his liquid meal. Ruby sneered at him and turned to face the blonde. "I've got to clock in and start my shift, why don't you just sit at a booth and I'll come take your order in a minute?" Emma gave her a half smile and nodded, choosing a random booth she sat down and began to flip through the menu. The sound of someone slipping into the booth across from her gained her attention, causing her to glance up from the list of potential meal choices. "The way you handled that situation was quite impressive for an outsider." The scruffy looking man complimented in a strange accent. "Uhh, thanks? I guess." Emma responds while raising a blonde eyebrow, unsure who this man was and why he was speaking to her. "I also couldn't help overhearing your conversation, you know, about the Mayor." Emma was about to respond when she was interrupted by Ruby, "Sorry about the wait, had to change into "work appropriate" clothing." The waitress winked as she gestured to her outfit, the bright red short shorts and white button up tied off just above her navel were anything but work appropriate; in fact the only thing remotely work appropriate about the ensemble was the folded apron that was tied around the young brunette's hips. "So, have you decided on what you want to eat?" Ruby questioned her pencil poised over her notepad. "Yeah, a grilled cheese with coffee would be fine. Thanks." Nodding she wrote down the order and glanced at the other person occupying the booth. "Oh no, nothing for me Ruby." "Alright, the food will be ready in a bit." And with that the leggy brunette strode off, leaving Emma alone with the strange man. "As I was saying, I know you want to know what's going on with the Mayor, and more importantly your son. I can help." Emma was instantly intrigued but schooled her features as to not show it. "Here you go, one grilled cheese sandwich with coffee. The cream and sugar are in that rack over there;" Ruby gestures to the rack at the other side of the booth near the wall, "If you need anything else don't be afraid to ask for it. On menu of course." The brunette chuckled at her own joke and flitted away to another table. Emma's attention returned to her uninvited guest, "This is beyond ridiculous, first of all I don't even know your name, and I know you're working some kind of angle here buddy. No one just waltzes up to a complete stranger with the potential answer to all of their problems without one, so either you stop being cryptic or you get the hell out of my booth and let me eat my lunch in peace." The man seemed stunned for a moment before collecting his thoughts and smiling sheepishly. "Right sorry, I was kind of aiming for mysterious…anyway, my name is Graham Hunter, and I'm the sheriff. Which means that I work closely with Regina; I've been looking for a deputy for as long as I've been in office and while she has been suggesting people, I could use someone who isn't I'm Madame Mayor's back pocket. So that's my angle; you come to work for me and I will help you find whatever it is you're looking for in regards to the Mayor." Emma sat back lost in thought _'If I take this job, maybe I could get a better look at what's going on. Ruby and Granny are clearly on the Mayor's side but I have to wonder if they are the only ones who are that aren't related to her. I've also got to pay for that room at Granny's somehow; my bounty hunting money will only last so long. Besides, I doubt there would be much to do, I'd practically be paid to sit on my ass all day.'_ Her thoughts were interrupted by that…Scottish accent? "Look, you don't have to say yes right away, I'm just putting it out there. Just sleep on it alright?" Graham glanced at his watch, "I've got to get back to the station. I'll be there all day, you can drop by _anytime_." As he got up to leave Emma fought back a shiver of disgust at his emphasis on the time frame for her visit. _'Just great, the only solid lead on Regina is coupled with a potentially pervy boss. That would be just my luck.'_ Emma contemplated as she bit into her grilled cheese. The bell to the diner dinged but the blonde was too lost in thought to notice as she continued to eat her lunch lost in her thoughts.

* * *

Regina was only slightly disappointed when the blonde that was constantly plaguing her thoughts failed to take notice of her, but she chose not to dwell on that fact and attempted to distract herself by perusing the menu. "Why are we here?" Regina looked up at her sister before quickly glancing back down at the menu. "We're having lunch, was the walk from the door to the booth so long that you forgot?" she teased, although it sounded forced. Riley scoffed, "No it wasn't; but I meant in here… with people. You hate people." "No, I hate idiocy. It just so happens to be the dominant trait in most people." Regina replied smoothly, not glancing up from the pamphlet that she seemed to be burning holes through with her gaze. _**'Something's bothering her. She can't make eye contact, whatever it is will give itself away if she does.'**_ As much as Riley hated to admit it, the voice was right; Regina seemed to be almost desperately avoiding her eyes. Riley reached across the table and pushed the menu down. Concerned grey met sad brown; Riley moved her hand from the menu to her sister's hand, and opened her mouth to speak but no sound came out. She saw the alarm on Regina's face, her lips were moving but she couldn't hear anything as the world dimmed around her.

~_Flashback~_

Rune had her back pressed up against the trunk of what was quickly becoming their tree. Two moths had passed since she'd met the scared little girl in this grove, but somehow it seemed longer than that. She hoped that the younger girl would start trusting her more. She understood Regina's hesitance but she believed that enough time had passed to prove that she was not a threat in any way. She threw her head back against the trunk in frustration, _'What would it take to make her see that I only wish to be her friend. There are no ulterior motives, she must understand that.'_ As if her thoughts had summoned her, Regina walked quietly over to where Rune was seated and sat down. "Hello." Was all that was said in a small voice. Rune turned to face the other girl and attempted to catch her gaze, "Good afternoon to you as well." Once again Regina deftly avoided her gaze; Rune sighed and reached out to gently grasp the brunette's chin. Regina flinched but that was all, Rune carefully turned Regina's head so their eyes finally met. Concerned grey me sad brown and Rune's speech died on her tongue. Instead she pulled the younger girl into a comforting embrace and spoke to her softly, "You don't have to tell me what's wrong; but I am here for you all the same." Regina gripped the front of her vest in tight fists as her body shuddered. "My mother..she…she does such horrid things. She's a monster…"

~_End Flashback~_

Regina watched helplessly as she saw Riley's pupils dilate until her eyes looked nearly black and her breathing become shallow. _'No, no, no. You can't do this to me now Rune! You can't leave me again!'_ Regina had seen the look in the older woman's eyes; she'd been on the receiving end of it more times than she could count. She had seen Rune in that moment, not Riley, attempting to comfort her and in a heartbeat both had begun to disappear into the recesses of Riley's fractured mind. Regina reached over and grabbed her sisters other hand trying desperately to anchor her sister in this reality. She held her breath as Riley seemed to sway in her seat; her actions seemed to have the desired effect and Riley slumped in her seat. Regina's breath hitched as her sister looked up at her through her lashes, it seemed as though any trace of Riley was gone. The fire burning in those steel irises could only belong to Rune, _'What happened? Was she able to break through the curse? How is that even possible?'_ endless questions swirled around the Mayor's mind as she watched her sister search through her briefcase. Regina felt something that she hadn't felt in years, hope. Hope that she wasn't completely alone in this world, that she now had someone to confide in when she had nightmares of her mother, someone who understood the stress of knowing what happened in their world, as well as the events that led up to the curse. Turning her focus back to her sister instead of the feeling bubbling up from her stomach she realizes what her companion had been searching for…that dammed journal. Regina looked on in silent horror as she saw Rune's demeanor slowly fade with each pen stroke and with it any chance for her to find any sort of reprieve. Regina tried to fight off the despair she felt clawing at her heart as she saw the last of the fire in Rune's eyes fade. The sound of footsteps approaching drew the Mayor's attention away from a haunted looking Riley. Her eyes met a pair of jade; it took her a few seconds to realize that she had been staring into the eyes of Emma Swan, another reminder of her past that she failed to protect, clearing her throat she addresses the blonde. "Can I help you Miss Swan? If you haven't noticed I am having lunch with someone." Emma glanced at Riley who still looked as if she had seen a ghost. "Yeah, sure looks like you did a number on her. She looks worse than Henry when I told him I was bringing him back." Regina's gaze hardened as she stood eye to eye with the woman. "You have no idea what you are talking about; so I suggest that you stop while you're ahead, even if it's not by much." Emma snorted, "Unlike everyone else in this town, I don't take orders from you. I'm going to find out why Henry thinks there is something wrong with this place, and why he's transferring it into that book; I promise you that." Regina felt like she was capable of breathing fire as she spoke through gritted teeth, "You will go nowhere near **my** son. **I **promise **you** that." Emma looked like she was about to say more but she was cut-off "I think it would be best if you left Emma. You need to cool off." Emma turned to see a stone faced Ruby looking at her; she could see disapproval shining through hazel eyes as she nodded her consent. Emma quickly strode passed the waitress and out the door. She had no idea why she had said those things to the Mayor; she had noticed the look on her face and slid out of her booth with the intention of offering assistance, but as soon as she got within a few feet of the beautiful brunette everything went to hell. She tried to figure out what was causing her to react this way as she walked back to the B&B. The few minutes it took to get there yielded no answers to her dilemma as she walked past the front desk she heard a throat clear. Emma turned to the elderly woman behind the counter, "I'm going to need the key to your room and you out of here by tonight. As much as I liked you, I want stand for a stranger to come in here and try to destroy Regina's life." Emma started at her in disbelief but the look on the old woman's face left no room for argument. Emma clenched her fists and nodded _'Looks like I'll be sleeping in the bug tonight…'_

Xxxxxx

Night had fallen and Emma was trying to get comfortable in the backseat of her car when she heard a knock on the window. She sat up slowly and looked at the curious face of Mary Margret. After a few moments of careful maneuvering Emma was able to slip out of the backseat. Opening the front door she steps out onto the street. "Hey, I was walking by and I couldn't help but notice that you were in your car. I thought that you were staying at Granny's?" the schoolteacher asked curiously. Emma scratched the back of her head and looked around before answering, "I uhh…may have been put out because of a slight altercation I had between the Mayor earlier today." The shorter woman's brow furrowed at the explanation "That hardly seems fair." "Oh, believe me I deserved it." That comment gained Emma a skeptical look before the other woman continued; "Anyway you could come home with me. I've been looking for a roommate for as long as I've had my apartment; that is if you're interested." Emma nodded. "Yeah, that beats spending endless nights in the backseat. Thanks. I really appreciate it." Mary Margret smiled, "It's no problem, really. Now come on, we can take your car."


	16. Chapter 16- Quakes and Shakes

**A/N: **Thanks for all the follows/reviews/favorites guys. You're all awesome for that! I think I might be pushing the T Rating just a bit for this chapter so just a fair warning. Thanks for waiting; life has been pretty hectic these last few weeks. Hope you guys think this chapter was worth the wait.

* * *

It had been two days since the second confrontation between Emma and herself, she had constantly replayed the events leading up to and after the argument but one thing stuck out, the book that Emma had mentioned. Henry had plenty of books; why would one in particular make him act out? She contemplated asking Sidney to keep an eye out for it while he made sure that the young boy stayed away from Emma but she didn't want him too close to her son or knowing too much about her already public familial issues. She quickly writes down a note to call Riley later as she tries to refocus her attention on the rather large stack of paperwork on her desk. _'Things were so much easier when my word was law; there was so little paperwork involved.'_ Though her effort was somewhat halfhearted as her mind wandered back to her dream from last night; apparently just because she didn't get along with this Emma didn't mean that her gallant counterpart couldn't visit her in her dreams. She could only ever remember bits and pieces of her dream, she was slightly comforted by the fact that the curse was unable to taint her dreams as of yet. The shrill ring of her office phone brings her back to reality with a start, picking up the phone Regina catches a glimpse at the time and notes that she had wasted 30 minutes staring off into space. "Regina Mills," she answered curtly. _"Oh, ah, Ma-Madame Mayor, it's Sidney—Sidney Glass."_ Was the stuttered reply; Regina was thankful that she was on the phone with the man because she was unable to restrain herself from rolling her eyes. "Yes, Mister Glass how may I be of assistance?" _"Well, you know how you wanted me to keep an eye on your son?"_ Regina's heart skipped a beat at the man's tone and nodded before she realized that he couldn't see her. "Yes, why? Has something happened?" _"He and Miss Swan are currently walking up the road to your sister's house. I think it's possible that she may have picked him up from school—_"And just where the hell were you when this happened Sidney?!" the Mayor shouted in anger and disbelief. _"Well you see…I was, uhh, it's actually a funny stor—" _ Regina slammed the phone into the receiver, not in the mood to hear the man's idiotic excuses. She quickly picked up her phone and speed dialed her sister's cell phone. _'First the tremor and now Emma, what else could possibly go wrong today?'_

Xxxxxx

Lips and tongues clashed together in a heated battle for dominance as hands were fisted into hair and tugging clothes. Riley tried to focus on the wonderful feelings her girlfriend was causing as they made out but ghostly scenes floated across her closed eyes, and terrified screams echoed in her ears no louder than a whisper. Ruby pulled back feeling Riley's responsiveness lessen, she watched as her lover's eyes fluttered open and look at her questioningly. She brushed her fingers against a tan cheek before softly asking "Are you ok?" her mind wondering back to the diner a couple of days ago. Riley leaned into the touch slightly before responding. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just wondering how you got Granny to give you the afternoon off." She watched as Ruby rolled her eyes, "All I had to do was mention spending time with you and she practically kicked me out. I'd appreciate it if you kept your mind on me and not my Gran while I'm in your lap, kissing you senseless." Chuckling Riley nodded and pulled Ruby down to reconnect their lips. Minutes pass and the couple are pulled apart by the sound of Riley's cell phone, the tanned woman shoots her companion an apologetic smile but before she makes a move to retrieve the device from her pocket Ruby is able to fish it out and toss it to the other side of the room. Riley makes to protest but the younger woman silences her with a kiss. "They'll call back later." She mumbles against already kiss swollen lips. Riley's cell goes off once again but is ignored by the couple on the sofa. The ringing stops and all that can be heard are Ruby's heavy breaths as her girlfriend's lips travel down the column of her throat. However the near silence does not last, when Riley's house phone begins to ring. Ruby glares at the device as Riley reaches over to answer it, "Hello?" _"What the hell took you so long to pick up?" _"I'm fine Gina, thanks for asking." _ "Don't give me that, I've been calling for at least 10 minutes!" _"Do you really want to know why?" Riley quipped as she looked at a pouting Ruby. Ruby crosses her arms as she hears who is on the other line, but a wicked smirk crosses her face as an idea pops into her mind but before she can implement it the doorbell rings. "Son of a bitch! You have got to be kidding me.." the waitress gripes as she slips from the comfortable lap she was seated on and makes her way to the door.

* * *

Emma was awakened by the scent of coffee; she rolled over and fought to keep her eyes open as she glanced at the clock. _'No one should be up at this ungodly hour!'_ Stumbling out of bed Emma gets ready and goes about the rest of her morning rituals, either too drowsy or oblivious to notice how seamlessly she had fallen into an easy rhythm despite being there for a little less than 48 hours. She slowly descended the stairs and walked into the kitchen where her new roommate was having breakfast. "Oh, did I wake you? I was trying to be as quiet as possible." Emma shook her head and strode over to the coffee pot, "Nah, I needed to get up early anyway, I was thinking about heading over to the Sheriff's Station. I hear they're looking for a Deputy." "Yeah, Graham's been looking for someone to fill that spot—"As long as you can remember." Emma finished. "I've noticed a lot of things go back as far as anyone can remember." Mary Margret leaned forward in her seat, "And what would fall under the category of 'a lot of things'?" Emma paused in her coffee pouring for a moment before continuing "I asked around a few places, it seems like everyone that has power here stays in power…it's been that was since 'everyone can remember'." The shorter woman looked at her strangely before pursing her lips. "You know, if this is about the Mayor there are probably easier ways to go about this. She'll be pissed when you get the job." "Like what? Going up to her and saying pretty please? And don't you mean **if** I get the job?" the latter statement made the school teacher laugh lightly. "No, I mean **when**. Graham would be stupid to pass up someone who actually stands up to the Mayor. As for Madame Mayor, she and her sister are extremely close; it couldn't hurt to befriend one Mills to get the scoop on the other." The shorter woman shrugged, "I mean you've already got Henry on your side, couldn't hurt to try for two." She continued casually as she walked out of the kitchen. "School ends at 3:15, I'm sure Henry would love to see you." The sound of the door closing signaled her roommate's departure, but Emma hardly noticed it as she stood slightly shocked at the woman's suggestion. _'What was that all about? I don't want to take anyone from Regina.'_ Her train of thought was jarred as the clock in town square tolled. The thing had miraculously started working yesterday, and had apparently been broken as long as anyone could remember. Shaking her head Emma stakes a few swigs from her coffee mug before heading out of the apartment.

Xxxxxx

Finding the Sheriff's Station wasn't any trouble, the ride over probably took more time than locating the building. Looking at it you could tell that Storybrooke was a small town, there was barely a parking lot and only one patrol car parked in one of the available three spaces. The building itself was a small single story brick structure and hardly stuck out from any of the other buildings along the road. Sighing and silently asking a higher power to not be hit on, she makes her way into the building. On her way to the Sheriff's office she notices that all the trash cans are over flowing with what looks to be like paper balls. _'Either he makes a lot of errors or this town is quieter than I first suspected…' _a whizzing sound catches her attention and she falters in her steps as she turns to find the origin of the sound. A bright red blur entered and left her vision before she could blink, causing Emma to yelp and jump back in shock. "Oh crap!" sounded a voice from somewhere else in the room. She heard a chair being pushed out and rushed footfalls approach her as she tried to calm her racing heart. "Sorry about that. I don't get much business so I have to entertain myself somehow." "Yeah, well it wouldn't be so bad if you moved your target away from the hallway. That way you won't potentially murder anyone who comes in here asking for help." Graham takes a step back and rubs the back of his head, "I honesty never thought of that, is… is that why you're here? You need help with something?" "No, actually I came here to talk about the job you offered me…as your deputy. If the position is still open that is." Emma stated sounding slightly unsure. Graham nodded his head so enthusiastically that he reminded Emma of a bobble head she used to have on her dashboard. "Yeah, I am still in need of a deputy; all you have to do is fill out some forms and send them over to Town Hall to make it official." Glancing at the wall clock he added, "I'd get it done now. They need to be filled out in triplicate." Looking toward the wall clock herself Emma nodded. _'How long could this take? I mean this has to be one of the smallest, most boring town in the state.'_

* * *

Several hours later Emma was regretting her insistence that she knock out all of the forms in one sitting. She felt as if her hand was about to fall off and then possibly beat her in retribution for the abuse it had suffered. Not to mention that her back was aching from being hunched over a desk for the better part of what felt like six hours—it was really more like 4—and she swore she was going to go ballistic if she had to sign her name one more time. Luckily enough all she had left was to get Graham to sign off on all of them before she could receive her badge. Her rose out of her chair and rubbed her hand in an attempt to soothe the massive cramp. She walked over to the open office door to see the Sheriff propped up on his elbow fast asleep, rolling her eyes she walks up to the desk and swiped his elbow out from underneath his head. His face hitting the desk was enough to effectively wake him up. Graham's head snapped up almost immediately after making contact with the desk. Rubbing his forehead he cast his gaze toward the door but found himself lost in the green eyes of his future deputy. Perhaps it was the just the pain, or the drowsiness that he had not fully shaken off but in that moment he felt as if the world had shifted into the right place. However, that feeling was short lived when Emma cleared her throat and placed the stack of papers on his desk looking anywhere but at him. "So…I finished all the paperwork. All that's left is your signature and my badge." "Oh right," Graham said finally tearing his gaze from the woman in front of him to search through the drawers of his desk. "You can have you badge now. No one in Town Hall needs to sign off on it. They're just gonna file it away somewhere. Aha! Here we are; all nice and shiny for you." The man joked as he set the badge down onto the desk. Emma chuckled awkwardly still a little put off by the man's earlier staring. She reached for the badge, and as her fingers brushed the gold plated symbol of authority the ground trembled. Both were shocked by the sudden tremor that passed so quickly they felt as if they had imagined it, but the station phone began ringing off the hook. The sheriff looked at his new deputy and smiled, "Can you start today?"

Xxxxxx

Emma was walking down Main Street with her hands shoved in her pockets. Most of her morning had been filled with reassuring residents that the town was not going to fall into the earth because of a minor quake and skillfully avoiding Graham's creepy gaze. Her growling stomach was what had finally granted her freedom from the increasingly awkward situation. The sound of a bell drew her attention to the building up the street, and by the looks of the children running from the building it wasn't much of a stretch to guess that school had been let out for the day. Her feet had started moving without her knowledge, and Emma soon found herself standing a few feet away from the school yard. "Emma! What are you doing here?" and excited voice shouted to her right. She had no time to prepare for the small body that collided into her side; Emma would have toppled over if the person would have been any bigger. Emma chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair; "Of course she's here why wouldn't she be?" came the voice of Mary Margret, who was only a few steps away from where the pair was standing. Emma gave the school teacher a strange look but her attention was returned to the enthusiastic 11-year-old. "Hey, are you doing anything? We could hang out at Granny's before my aunt has to take me to my appointment with Dr. Hopper." Emma pulled back slightly from the embrace and looked around, "I don't know kid, I'm sure your mother wouldn't appreciate any deviation from your normal routine." "Like it matters that you'll upset her, she's the Evil Queen." Henry mumbled. "Come on Emma! **Please?**" Emma found that she was unable to resist the pouting face and nodded her consent. "Yes!" Henry exclaimed while jumping up and down. "But this is going to be the only pit-stop, after this it's a straight shot to your aunt's house." The boy gave her a look that showed his disbelief in the statement and grabbed her hand before pulling her by the hand and walking off in the direction of the diner.

Xxxxxx

The quality time at the diner had proved more informative than Emma had expected, it didn't take much for her to get Henry to divulge some of the information that he had collected from the book. He had several theories of the true identities of some of the townspeople. She was supposedly the White Knight, and it was her destiny to deliver the down from the oppressive grip of the Evil Queen. The book also had some particularly violent scenes that she was sure weren't exactly kid friendly. She stows away all that she has learned and makes a plan to bring it up with both Mills sisters; but perhaps not at the same time. Emma looks to Henry, who is just ahead and seems to be playing some kind of game on the sidewalk. "Whatcha doin there kid?" Henry briefly glances back and briefly halted his activity, "I'm trying to step on each segment once. So I need to take big steps." He then demonstrated by taking another large step. "Huh, when I was your age I was always worried about stepping on the cracks; didn't want to break my mother's back after all." "Yeah well, I guess that shows how different things were when you were growing up." Emma was about to respond, but Henry's quick change in direction made her realize that they had arrived at their destination. Emma jogged to catch up with Henry who was practically sprinting up the driveway. She reached him just as he finished knocking at the door, they didn't have to wait long and the door swung open to reveal a slightly breathless and flustered looking Ruby. Ruby eyes the blonde suspiciously before smiling down at the boy. "Hey little man; how was school?" she asked stepping aside to let them in. "It was boring, until that earthquake anyway. Then everyone started freaking out. Probably because it's never happened here before…things really are changing." The trio enters the kitchen to find Riley chopping open a pomegranate while the phone sits beside her, the person on the other line still yelling and ranting. The sound of approaching footsteps draws her attention away from her task; her eyebrows jump at the sight of the lanky blonde once again in her home but she says nothing about it. Instead Riley simply picks up the phone, "Listen I'll call you back later. Just do some breathing exercises and get some work done." and ends the call without waiting for a response before turning to address her nephew. "There's my little rapscallion! I'm just making a snack, you want one?" Henry shakes his head, "No thanks, Emma and I went to Granny's so I'm good. Can I play your PS3?" "Sure, maybe you can even beat Ruby in Need for Speed." Catching the hint Ruby laughs tauntingly, "Yeah right, I'd run circles around him without breaking a sweat." Tossing his book bag onto the kitchen table he turns and shoots a playful glare at the waitress. "You're on. Get ready to eat my dust!" As the bickering pair walk down the hall to the living room the kitchen is filled with a loaded silence.

"Can I get you anything Emma?" Riley queries as she wipes of her knife. Emma swallows hard at the unbelievably intimidating image. "Some answers would be nice." "Well, ask what you must and we'll see if I can help paint a clearer picture." Emma quickly goes through the ever growing mental list of questions and decides on the one that has been nagging her the longest, "The book of fairy tales that Henry has, you know about it, right?" Riley pursed her lips before nodding. "He got it from his teacher, I know that much. He seems to think that everyone in town is a character in it." The blonde was shocked that his aunt knew that much, from what Henry had said it seemed like she could be the only one who knew his theory. "Have you read the book? Who does he think you are?" "No, he won't let me near the dammed thing, which probably has to do with who he thinks I am." Emma's heart unknowingly began pounding harder as she waited for Riley to elaborate. "He seems to think that I'm some weird elf version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hide, which makes sense, and who is the Evil Queen's right hand if I remember correctly." Emma's heart skipped a beat when she heard that. Her mind going back to what Henry had shown her in the diner.

~_Flashback~_

"She's the Evil Queen! She can't be reasoned with." Emma sighed, "Henry, you can't call your mother that. What has she ever done to make you lose your trust in her?" at that the young boy's face darkened, "Because I know what happens to people who trust her." Before she could ask what he meant the book was laying in front of her. "Read it, you'll see why she must be stopped once and for all." Emma looked the boy skeptically but decided to humor him; she shifted her gaze downward and began to read:

**It was a cold winter night when young princess Snow White was lying in bed unable to sleep. She set off to the library in hopes of finding a book to read until she was able to fall asleep. She walked down long corridors and avoided patrolling guards, for if she was caught she would surely be reprimanded by her stepmother. As she turned the corner the faint sound of yelling could be heard, her curiosity got the better of her and she changed course heading towards the sound. The closer Snow got to the noise the more her curiosity grew. As she turned down another hallway she realized that the argument was coming from her stepmother's study. And although every one of her senses was telling her to turn around she pushed on. She creeped up to the doors, not needing to check to know that they were locked, and peeked through the keyhole, where she could clearly see her stepmother and her enforcer. The two seemed to be locked in some heated argument. "You must listen, you are not thinking this through!" the tanned warrior shouted. "No, you listen to me. I will find my own way to victory; I refuse to become the very thing I am trying to destroy along the way." The Queen retorted. "You think you'll win by trying to play fair? Your refusal to learn could be the deciding factor— The Enforcer's words were cut short as the Queen's hand plunged into her chest. The young girl's eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth to smother the gasp she almost made. The Queen sneered, "Do not lecture me on how to fight my battles." She wretched her hand out of the halfling's ribcage and walked out of view. As soon as the Queen withdrew from her chest she fell to her knees grasping for breath and clutching her chest. Tears fell from Snow White's eyes, the sight of the dark guardian in so much pain was too much for her to bear, and she fled back to her room still haunted by the images she'd just seen.**

_~End Flashback~_

Emma shook her head to end the reverie before looking to Riley, who was cutting open her second pomegranate. "Are you sure he said that?" the sound of the blonde's voice startled Riley which caused the knife to slip slightly and ended up slicing into flesh rather than the intended fruit. "Shit!" Riley shouted as she dropped both the fruit and the knife in favor of holding her finger. Emma rushed to help feeling guilty for startling the other woman, "Here, let me see." She said while reaching for the injured appendage. While staunching the flow of blood something caught Emma's eye. A scar, one that looked to be self-inflicted diagonally cutting through the length of Riley's palm. "How'd you get that?" she asked softly. Riley inspected the scar, in her mind images of a dagger and a younger looking Regina flashed before she shook them away. "I don't really remember. Just know that it's been there, and I wouldn't feel right if it wasn't." Emma nodded before reaching out and softly tracing it with a finger. Emma gasped at the shock that went through her system and Riley's eyes snapped shut as she was bombarded with countless images. It felt like the whole world was shaking, and it took both of them a minute to realize that it really was. The tremor lasted for about another two minutes before the ground was once again silent. "What the hell was that?" Ruby shouted from the other room. Emma looked to the slightly taller woman, "Any ideas?" Riley's forehead wrinkled in thought "The only plausible possibility is that the mines are collapsing. Theoretically it could cause the type of seismic activity that has been occurring throughout the day." The ex-bounty hunter nodded. "Well then, we'd better go check it out."


	17. Chapter 17- Aftershocks

**A/N: **Things will start veering off from the show starting now, there will still be some key events but the order in which they occur may adjusted to fit the story line. And there is a reason that Henry is much worse here than in the show, but that will be revealed later on. Thanks for the reviews and follows, they make my day. I had to do a research paper, so that took up most of my time. I'm on Spring Break now though! Yay!

* * *

Emma and Riley decided to drive to the mines after Ruby volunteered to stay and watch Henry. On the way over Emma dialed Graham and suggested he head out to the mine shaft in case Riley's theory was correct. It only took about seven minutes to arrive at the mines and Emma suspected that was most likely because of Riley's speeding. _'The woman drives like she's in a video game.'_ Emma thought amusedly. There was already a crowd starting to form and to Emma's surprise Regina was there keeping them at bay while the area was being roped off. Although Regina really didn't have to do much of anything, as it appeared that all of the spectators were those that were afraid or intimidated by her mere presence. The sound of Riley's fast approaching vehicle had attracted the Mayor's attention; and while Riley's arrival did not surprise her, the sight of Emma Swan trailing a few steps behind most certainly did—even if she successfully managed to hide it. "Miss Swan, what exactly are you doing here? As you can see this is an issue for the community. And I if I recall correctly you are just visiting." Regina could tell by the look on her sister's face that she hadn't asked that question. She watched suspiciously as a smug look came over the infuriating blonde's face. "As a matter of fact I am a part of this community," Emma spoke while placing her hands on her hips, revealing the shiny Deputy's badge hanging on her hip. "So I think it's safe to say that this is my business." The reactions of the Mills sisters different, Regina sneered while Riley seemed contemplative. "Then do your job and keep these people back!" the Mayor growled before storming off on the Sheriff's direction. Emma and Riley watched as the irate brunette tore into the scruffy law enforcer; one in sympathy and the other in amusement. "I could care less if you stay, don't get me wrong I like you," the bronzed woman's statement caught Emma's attention and she turned to look at her. "But if you continue to be a thorn in my sister's side, I'll choose her." The ringing of Riley's cell phone interrupted the conversation before Emma could even think of a response. She watched as Riley looked a t the caller ID and started to step away. "I've got to take this, excuse me." effectively ending the conversation. She looked on curiously as Riley spoke animatedly on the phone for a few minutes before ending the call and jogging over to Regina. Deciding that she had spent enough time focusing on the Mills siblings, Emma took the Mayor's advice and worked on crowd control.

Xxxxxx

"Regina," the sound of her sister's voice made her momentarily pause her ranting; which caused a slight look of relief to cross Graham's face. Regina glared at the man and was about to pick up where she had left off, but Riley intervened. "Give Emma a hand Graham, more people are showing up." Riley's statement earned her a grateful look from the man, which was immediately ignored, before he walked off rather quickly to aid his new employee. Before he was out of earshot Regina turned her glare towards her sister, who met her head on. "Would you tell me what the hell that was about?!" Regina spoke angrily. "Henry snuck out." Shock colored her features but was quickly followed by more anger. "How did that happen exactly? How could you leave him in the care of someone so incompetent?" "He told Ruby that he was going to go to the bathroom, after a few minutes she went to check on him and he wasn't there. You would have fallen for it as well, so do not blame her for it." Regina sighed and rubbed her forehead, "You're right, that was uncalled for, and I apologize. Do you have any idea where he would be headed?" Riley gave her a look and replied "I think we both know where he's headed Gina, this was out of hand to begin with but know it's getting ridiculous." "You don't think I already know that?!" Regina snapped. "At least he doesn't look at you like you are truly the most evil being in existence." She continued as her heart ached at the very notion that her son could think of her in such a way. _**'That selfish boy will destroy what's left of her if we don't act soon.' **_The Other's voice rang within Riley's head sounding louder than before. Riley made a move to comfort her distressed sibling but was stopped by another violent quake. Regina and Riley made their way back to the crowd, which was beginning to sound like a distressed flock of chickens in the presence of a hungry fox. "People, please calm down. You need to remain calm, and return to your homes." Regina shouted as she attempted to obtain some semblance of order amidst the panic. It worked and the gathering's anxiety began to dissipate, a few moments passed before a voice was heard. "What are you hiding down there?" Regina, Riley, and Emma immediately recognized the small voice and were unsurprised as Henry weaved his way to the front of the crowd. "Not now Henry, this is serious. You should have stayed at your aunt's house." Regina scolded in an exasperated tone. "And let you get rid of whatever it is you're hiding down there? I don't think so." Both Regina and Emma were shocked at the boy's words as well as his defiance. _**'You're just going to stand by and allow him to treat her this way? I have had enough of YOUR inaction! You've been in control long enough.'**_ The irate voice sounded in Riley's head. The tone sent a shiver down her spine; it sounded more along the lines of a promise than a threat. Tingling that was usually associated with limbs that had lost circulation started at Riley's fingers but she brushed it off by blaming it on the slightly frigid air. "Riley, would you please take him? It would ease my mind to know he was safe at home and away from here if anything were to happen." The Mayor beseeched. "I'd be safer here than anywhere with you!" the young boy shouted. Emma could only look on in shock as she saw the boy's adoptive mother imperceptibly flinch at his outburst, while the tingling in Riley's fingers had migrated to the base of her spine. "That's enough Henry." Riley stated sternly as she placed a hand on his shoulder turning him in the direction of her car, "It's time to go home." Henry tried to resist and refused to move his feet, his attempt only succeeded in aiding the prickling sensation's journey up his aunt's spine where it was momentarily halted at the base of her neck. Riley scooped up the disobedient boy and tossed him onto her shoulder before continuing on to the car. "NO! You have to fight it! She's controlling you! You're not like her, fight it!" Henry shouted; beating his small fists onto his Aunt's back in a futile attempt to stop her. Regina turned away from the scene, unable to bear witness to her son's struggle against her sister but also wishing she could unhear his scathing remarks.

* * *

Emma looked on, noticing the crowd's panic had been replaced by whispers and hushed voices all of which were discussing the events that had just taken place. Turning she saw that even Graham had been affected by the young boy's outburst, though he seemed to be lost in his thoughts more than anything. Looking over to the woman who was subject to the scrutiny of all that had been present, she noticed how lonely Regina seemed. She was standing off to the side, facing the mineshaft's entrance, arms wrapped around herself in an effort to stave off the cold _'Although it could be in effort to offer herself some comfort…'_ the thought combined with the image in front of her struck something deep within Emma, and though she didn't know what it was, it's impact resonated throughout her entire being. That feeling in Emma's gut told her that there was something else at play here; Regina had come off as nothing but sincere and genuine, Henry's reaction to her made no sense. With her new plan of action in place she set about dispersing the crowd of gossips. "Alright people, get out of here! Move along, this place is dangerous!" Hearing Emma's voice snapped Graham out of his daze and he moved to assist his Deputy. "Return to your homes, this area is now taped off. No unauthorized personnel are allowed within 50 meters, unless you'd like to spend the night in jail along with a hefty fine." The Sheriff's announcement did the trick and the townspeople were hustling back to their homes.

* * *

The car ride to the Mayoral Mansion was uneventful; Henry was strapped in the back seat, grumbling under his breath. Riley considered lecturing the boy but that had proved useless before. She hadn't even put the car in park before Henry was out of the car and storming up to the front door. Riley sighed and dropped her forehead down onto the steering wheel with a light 'thunk' the tingling had moved from her neck to the base of her skull but has also lessened in intensity. "Thank the Maker for that." She murmured to herself before slipping out of the car and following her nephew's path up the walkway. "Go shower and then go to your room. I'll check on you from time to time until your mother gets back." She stated as she unlocked the front door and pushed it open. Henry said nothing as he ascended the stairs, "This has to stop Henry." His footsteps paused momentarily before resuming his climb. _**'I'm sure that will have an enormous impact on his behavior from now on.' **_Was the sarcastic comment that sounded from the direction of the foyer mirror, Riley steeled herself before looking at the image reflected. They looked identical save for what appeared to be iron shackles clasped around the woman's neck and wrists, perhaps even her ankles. The woman in the mirror snorts, _**'I've seen and given better glares. If you're trying to intimidate me I suggest you try a bit harder.'**_ The reflection's snarky comment made Riley's nostrils flare in anger, as she quickly strode over to the mirror. "I am sick of you commenting on everything, this is **my** life! Not yours." She stated heatedly. Her doppelgänger had the audacity to smirk at her; causing Riley's blood to blaze. The tanned woman sneered and forcefully braced both hands on either side of the mirror. She noticed too late that the collar had vanished from the woman's neck before she felt it clamp around her own. Riley felt as if every cell in her body was vibrating, she slammed her eyes shut in an attempt to keep her balance as the world turned.

Xxxxxx

Stormy grey eyes opened and smirked at the figure pounding on the glass of the mirror. "Do not fret Rune, I promise not to cause any irreparable damage." Turning her attention from the woman in the mirror she strained her senses to listen for Henry. Satisfied that she heard the shower running, she heads for the door. Willow had a lot of work to do, and she wasn't sure how long she'd have to get those goals accomplished.

The ride to the hospital was quick; the walk down the sterile hallways was even quicker. And now Willow found herself standing in front of a large metal door, taking a deep breath she pushes the door open and walks down the small set of stairs. A blonde woman behind the desk at the bottom of the stairs perks up at the sound of footsteps against the concrete steps. Willow's eyes survey the room before landing on the only other occupant, "Has anyone else aside from the Mayor come down here?" the nurse shook her head, "No, practically no one else knows about this place; just you and your sister." Nodding Willow's gaze drifts over to a small corridor "She still believes that she is the only person that comes down here…correct?" the seated woman flinches slightly at the hard tone directed towards her. "Yes, I doubt she even knows that you are aware of this place's existence." "Spectacular," Leaning over the desk Willow gives the nurse a once over before stating menacingly "Let's keep it that way, yeah?" the young woman looked like she was about to faint but managed a nod. Smirking she strode down the hall and peeked through the slot in the door to see a beautiful brunette gazing out of the window at the moon; as if sensing the stare she slowly tore her eyes from the stars, a brief glimmer of recognition flitted across her eyes, "It's you." "Don't act so surprised," the tanned woman responded flippantly before grabbing the key off the hook and opening the heavy door. "You and I have a lot to talk about." The door closed with a raucous '_CLANG!'_ that nearly gave the nurse at the desk a heart attack.

* * *

Regina stared at her steering wheel in disbelief; it was just not her night. After Graham and Emma got those village idiots to stop gawking at her and return to their homes—where they were undoubtedly spreading rumors about what they had witnessed—it didn't take long to come up with a plan of action that would have to begin early tomorrow morning. Everyone had packed up and left relatively quickly, Regina had taken her time walking back to her vehicle, savoring the bright stars and near constant cool air that the north was known for; but now she was regretting that decision. Once she got into her car and tried to turn it on the engine made an ominous rumbling sound before cutting out completely. Regina's trance was broken by knocking on her car window. She turned her head while trying to simultaneously calm her startled heartbeat; however the sight of a smiling blonde on the other side of the glass did little to help. In fact, if Regina had been paying attention she would have noticed that her heart rate had increased and intensified, but she was too lost in familiar jade eyes to notice. "Car trouble?" the deputy asked, and though it came through the glass slightly muffled it was enough to bring the brunette back to Earth. Regina glanced at the dashboard before nodding; she reached for the door handle slowly giving the other woman ample time to move out of the way before stepping out of the car. "How can I help you Miss Swan?" "Don't you think I should be the one asking you that question Madame Mayor?" Emma asked amusedly. Regina rolled her eyes, "And what would kind of assistance would you offer? I hope you have jumper cables in that death trap of yours." The deputy scratched the back of her neck, "Heh. Funny story actually…I didn't come here in my car, I, uh, I rode with your sister." Regina could not help but stare at the blonde incredulously. "So you were on your way over here to ask for a ride? After how you've treated me the past few days? You must be joking." Emma had the decency to look embarrassed when her behavior was brought up. "About that, I've been meaning to apologize. I had…have no right to judge or question your parenting skills. There is clearly something else going on here, and it's causing Henry to lash out. I'm sorry I didn't see that before now." "Impressive," Regina sniffed "I'll admit that sounded sincere enough to get a ride home; but my car isn't functional as you can see." "I noticed, and was wondering if I could walk you home?" the blonde's suggestion came so suddenly that Regina could only stand in shocked silence as her mind scrambled to make sense of what was happening. Emma took the single mother's silence as suspicion and spoke quickly, hoping to show no deception on her part. "I mean, I totally understand if you'd rather call a tow truck, or Riley, or even walk home by yourself but I thought we could use the time to get a better understanding of each other…" Emma trailed off, grasping at any other ideas that could convince the woman in front of her to allow her to take her home. The woman in question had finally recovered from her shock just as Emma's train of thought derailed. "I suppose that I could stand your company for more than 15 minutes." Regina stated seemingly uncaring, but truth be told on the inside she felt as if someone had let loose dozens of butterflies within her stomach. Not really understanding why she was having these feelings, she pushed it to the back of her mind and ignored the sensation as best she could.

Xxxxxx

Henry had gotten ready for bed, still mad that no one believed him, but on his way to his room the lack of noise coming from downstairs caught his attention. Figuring his aunt was going through her evening meditations he made his way down the stairs to say good night and hopefully make his way back into her good graces. The light was on in the foyer, but the rest of the house was dark and silent. _'She's gone. This may be my only chance to expose the Evil Queen!'_ he thought as he bolted back upstairs to change and leave before any other adults could stop him or for his adoptive mother to get rid of any evidence. Stuffing his beloved book into a book bag, grabbing one of the emergency flashlights, and slipping on a jacket he was out of the house in less than ten minutes.

Xxxxxx

"What are you talking about?" Willow asked in frustration, "Of course I remember everything." "If you remembered everything then you wouldn't be here." Belle stated. "I am here because you are one of the only people who can remember where we come from. The enchantment that Regina placed on your cell was enough to keep your memory intact, but not to save you from this land." Belle tilted her head curiously, "If you have it all figured out then why haven't you attempted to contact the Queen?" The tanned woman's brow furrowed, "Because something went wrong. The deal was for Regina to get a happy ending, and believe me, what's going on out there is anything but happy." Belle reached out and ran her fingers across Willow's brow soothingly, "If things are as bad as you say, why are you so certain you recall everything?" Willow's mouth opened and closed several times but she could not answer, so instead she gently grasped the dainty wrist of the imprisoned woman and pulled Belle's hand away from her face. "I have to go, but I will get you out of here." Belle smiled and nodded, "Maybe then we can work on that memory."

Xxxxxx

Henry stood at the entrance of the mine shaft a bit winded but eager to prove himself to everyone. Turning his flashlight on experimentally a few times, he mustered up the courage to walk into the opening but was stopped a few steps away by a cold and angry voice. "And what exactly do you think you're doing Henry Mills." The tone sent a shiver down the boy's spine as he turned to face the new presence. He looked up to see the familiar visage of his aunt, but gazing into unfamiliar grey eyes he realized that this was the person his book had warned him about—The Queen's Enforcer. "I know exactly who you are, I won't let your Queen destroy what's left of that world and neither will Emma!" Willow raised and unimpressed eyebrow at him before reaching into her pocket and pulling out her phone, "Your mother is going to be so disappointed. I thought you—Hey!" The older woman yelled as she dropped her phone. Henry stood posed to strike with another rock in his hand looking slightly nervous. "You little **brat**!" Hearing her exclamation Henry darted into the mine shaft and blindly threw the rock over his shoulder. Willow had taken off after him, not noticing that the rock's trajectory would cause it to hit a rotted out piece of wood, making the entrance collapse. As the dust cleared the cell phone lay forgotten on the cold ground.

* * *

Regina looked at her house strangely, something about it seemed off. From the street she could tell that the foyer lights were still on but her sister's car was no longer in the driveway and it was much too late for Henry to be out of bed. She turned to her blonde escort before heading up the walkway to the front door. Unlocking it and stepping inside she looked around, "Henry? Riley?" Regina called out as she walked throughout the first floor. Emma, who had followed her in, let her gaze wonder and it landed on the hallway mirror. She walked over to it for a closer look, _'It almost looks as if these handprints were made on the other side of the glass…'_ Emma's musings were interrupted by Regina's return from what she assumed would be the kitchen. "They must have gone over to her house, I doubt Riley was keen on spending the night in the guest bedroom as opposed to her own bed." Regina said softly, more to herself than Emma. The blonde nodded, "Well, I guess I'd better get going. We have a lot of work to do in the morning. Hopefully the mines won't collapse by then." Regina chuckled, "Yes, let's hope not. That would be more work for all our departments. Not to mention a drain on our recourses,], but we can talk about that in the morning." Emma offered the Mayor a small smile and headed to the door, the heavy footfalls of her boots were followed by the clicking of Regina's heels. Emma was halfway down the walk way when she heard the brunette's voice call out "And Miss Swan, thank you." The deputy was unable to keep the smile off her face her whole walk back to Mary Margret's apartment.

Xxxxxx

Henry was out of breath bent over on his knees panting. The Enforcer had been on his tail since his first few steps into the mine, he'd only managed to keep a few yards distance between them, and he was sure that was because she was allowing it. To top that off he was hopelessly lost and had no idea what he was looking for that would prove to everyone that he wasn't just a kid with an over active imagination, but he refused to give up. Henry could see the tracks start to split up ahead, and his mind was working overtime to try to come up with a way to throw is pursuer off his trail, at least until he could find what he was looking for. He couldn't hear her footsteps approaching but he could feel her aura getting stronger the longer he stood there trying to control his breathing once more. Shaking his head he veered off to the right and hoped that she missed his change in direction. He was so caught up in his thoughts that he failed to see the drop off a few feet in front of him; it was only the sensation of falling that brought him back to himself. Henry was only able to suck in a breath to scream before his decent lurched to a halt. He gasped and looked up to see the outstretched arm of his aunt grasping the hood of his jacket. "Stay calm Henry. I'm going to pull you up slowly, tell me if you feel like you're slipping alright?" Henry nodded desperately as his heart felt like it was making its way back to its rightful place from his stomach. As he felt himself being pulled up onto solid ground, he allowed himself to relax enough to pass out. Willow let out a sigh of relief before picking up the unconscious boy and making her way back to the entrance. Upon her arrival however, instead of being greeted by fresh air, she was faced with a large pile of rocks blocking their only known exit. "Shit." Willow sighed as she cast one last glance at the blocked off entrance before heading deeper into the mine in search of a different exit.


	18. Chapter 18- Soul Wars

**A/N: **Whew! Sorry about the wait, been mega busy lately. But good news is that for now I don't need to write any more papers and finals are a finally out of the away! Lol. So I can now get back to the story, and hopefully get back to updating more regularly.

* * *

_The sun peeked over the mountains and its rays stretched down to the valley below,_ _brown eyes blinked open groggily. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes Regina slowly sat up, her eyes darted around confusedly at the sight of the unfamiliar room. A small gasp followed by excited footsteps heading in her direction gained the confused woman's attention. A brown haired torpedo landed beside her, and she was shocked to see Henry smiling at her. But what was more shocking were his brown orbs twinkling with mischief. "I told you she was going to be alright!" The boy shouted cockily. A chuckle sounded from the archway. "We never doubted you for a second, little Henry." The boy pouted at the nickname, and Regina had to tear her eyes away from her adorable son to look past him. There stood her sister dressed in what she assumed to be traditional elven garb. "You gave us quite the scare Gina. How are you feeling?" As if the question summoned it, her head throbbed with pain. "My head is killing me. Where am I?" A worried look crossed her sister's face, "You must have hit your head harder than we thought if you can't even remember what your own bedroom looks like." "My bedroom? I've never had a bedroom that looked anything like this." She watched as worry consumed more of her sister's features after voicing her thoughts. "Well, this has been your bedroom for the last 17 years or so. There is no conceivable way for you to lose that much time from just a small bump on the head." Rune quickly strode across the room and grasped her hand tightly. "What's the last thing you remember Regina?" Regina squeezed her eyes shut as she tried to recall what happened before she went to sleep. "The mines. I was at the mines because they were collapsing." "The mines? What in Maker's name were you doing there? Daniel said that you were riding near Ferngully. I swear if one of those pea brained dwarves had anything to do with your injury they'll be answering to the business end of my axe." Rune's menacing tone wasn't all too surprising, but what did surprise her was the context of her sister's threat. "Wait, Ferngully, dwarves…you…you remember?" "Remember what Gina?" "Everything!" Rune's reply was cut off by loud boot falls echoing throughout the house._

* * *

The blaring of the alarm clock jolts Regina into consciousness, she rolled over and slammed the snooze button. She lay there for a few minutes trying to figure out what her dream had meant, if it had any meaning at all. Something in the back of her mind told her that the dream did indeed hold some significance, so the Mayor made an effort to store away as much of her dream as she could recall for later review. She sat up slowly and stretched, then turned her head and listened for any sounds coming from the first floor and was confused when she didn't hear anything. '_It is Saturday isn't it?'_ she wondered, Saturday mornings were one of her favorites, Riley would come over and she, Henry, and herself would make breakfast together and watch whatever cartoon Henry happened to be obsessed with. Even with all the changes in regards to Henry's attitude, Saturday mornings seemed to remain untouched by their deteriorating relationship. Until now it seemed. The thought brought tears to her eyes, and Regina tried to swallow passed the knot that seemed to from in her throat. Taking a deep breath and shakily exhaling it slowly, she tossed her covers off and got out of bed. Slipping a robe on before walking down the stairs and heading towards the kitchen, but before she can reach it her doorbell sounds. Sighing Regina turns around and heads to the front door, _'What if that's Riley and Henry? Maybe they were just a bit behind schedule; I doubt they planned on him staying the night at her house.' _This speculation set her mind somewhat at ease until the door swung open to reveal not Henry and Riley as Regina had hoped but Ruby. "Miss Lucas, I had no idea the diner made deliveries now." Ruby smirked, "Only for certain customers." Regina rolled her eyes at the young woman's wit. "Speaking of which, is Riley here? She didn't come home last night so I though she just decided to stay in the guest room. You'd think she'd call and tell someone, you know?" a sickening feeling had settled itself in Regina's stomach as the younger brunette's question left her lips, pieces of her dream were replaying themselves within her mind. Regina felt her entire being go numb. _'No…No. NO!'_ Ruby looked on concerned as she watched the Mayor's skin pale as if she had some shocking revelation. "Are you alright Regina?" Regina couldn't answer, no matter how hard she tried, so instead she turned around and headed back to the kitchen with a different intention while Ruby tentatively followed behind her.

Xxxxxx

Graham stared at his reflection in his bathroom mirror, the dark circles under his eyes were starting to become more distinctive and his overall appearance was starting to look more haggard. He splashed water on his face in an effort to improve his reflection's appearance but it did little more than clear some of the grime from his face. He had woken up in the forest again, it was the third time and the only correlating event was when he had whacked his head on his desk while waiting for Emma to finish up her paperwork. The thing that was probably more unnerving aside from waking up in the wood was the tracks that he had seen when he awoke. They seemed to be paw prints but were too big to be any of the dogs that were in Storybrooke, and that could only mean one thing, they were wolf prints. Which made absolutely no sense; there was no way it could be a wolf. Maine doesn't have wolves! And yet there they were clear as day. The situation seemed to worsen as the sheriff wracked his brain trying to remember why he was in the forest to begin with, but it seemed the harder he tried to recall the more addled his mind became. He took another breath in an attempt to calm his racing mind, _'Why can't I remember anything after I left the mines?'_ he though desperately as flashes of trees and shrubbery looped through his mind. Suddenly he found himself back in the forest, a stag laid dead at his feet; a snap of a twig nearby caught his attention as a snowy paw emerged from the foliage—Graham is shocked back to reality as his phone rings. With the new images in his mind he walks towards the night stand and just managed to catch his phone before it fell off. "Sheriff Hunter speaking," after a long moment of attempting to decipher what it was the person on the line was saying he gave up and checked the caller ID. He was shocked to see that the clearly panicked voice belonged to none other than Mayor Regina Mills. "Madame Mayor, I'm going to need you to slow down I can't understand you." Hearing a succession of deep breaths that became less and less ragged he waited patiently for the Mayor to repeat herself. _"Sheriff, both my son and sister are missing; and I have reason to believe that they may be in or near the mines." _"Do you really think that Henry would run off to the mines?" the scruffy man asked in disbelief. _"Graham, you were there last night, he was convinced that I was hiding something down there. Is it really so hard to believe that he wouldn't try to prove he was right?" _Graham sighed as he dragged his hand down his face. "Alright Regina, I'll call the Fire Department and Emma, meet us at the mines." Graham returned to the mirror hoping that he could pull himself together enough to look sleep deprived and not like a soldier fresh home from the terrors of war. The notion of war sent a cold chill down his spine and he heard the faint clash of steel and screams of the dying ringing in his ears. He pressed his palms to his ears in an effort to block out the hoof beats and shouting, his gaze returned to the mirror hoping that seeing his reflection would help anchor him to reality. The effort proved to have the opposite effect when he saw his reflection, he knew for a fact those were not his clothes and there was a look in those reflected eyes that he didn't quite recognize. He tore his eyes away from the man in the mirror so quickly he lost his balance and hit the doorframe. As he sat there trying to catch his breath he couldn't help but wonder if this was how Riley felt every day.

Xxxxxx

Henry awoke to the sounds of soft yet frustrated swearing; he attempted to sit up but did so too fast and the darkness around him seemed to swirl nauseatingly. Slamming his eyes shut he fought down the bile in his throat from coming out while taking deep breaths. The silence was broken as another curse was uttered, "Ah, shit." Henry looked in the direction of the voice to see his aunt facing the wall, using his flashlight for some unknown reason. Growing suspicious of the woman's unseen activities he decides to speak up, "Whatever you're doing, it's not going to work." The tanned woman peered at him over her shoulder before returning to what she was doing. "Nice to see you're finally awake." He glared at her back, "I'm not going to let her win, you know? You can't stop me." "I don't have to; I doubt you know what you're even looking for down here." His aunt turned to face him this time before continuing, "Besides, I've already stopped you from doing plenty." Distaste clear in her tone as she looked at him with unfamiliar eyes. Henry sneered at the woman's teasing. "Oh yeah? I didn't see you stop me from coming in here in the first place, or have you already forgotten?" Willow's eyes flashed angrily at the boy's comment, "No, but I did stop you from breaking your neck, rupturing organs, and dying a potentially slow and **very** painful death not but a few hours ago." Not even caring to see the boy's haunted expression at her words she returns to her activity. After a few minutes of tense silence Henry is finally able to shake away the gruesome images he had thought up and musters up enough courage to break the silence. "What are you doing?" "Other than supposedly hiding evidence? I'm trying to fix this circuit breaker; I guess you haven't noticed that we've been sitting in an elevator." Henry used the lull in the conversation to look at his surroundings; squinting in the semi-lit space he could see the grates and cables. There was a flash of light before a long stream of curses cut through the silence of the air. "Well, this elevator is a no-go; I thought it'd be like hot-wiring a car but unfortunately that's not the case." Willow turned to face the boy who was looking at her in disbelief. "What?" "You've hot-wired cars before?" "Sure, it was loads of fun going for joy rides. Enough about that though, we've got to get out of here…can you walk?" Henry wiggled his toes in inside his sneakers before nodding. "Alright then," Willow stated while dusting off her pants and extends her hand "let's get moving." Grasping the woman's hand Henry stands, "Do you know where to go?" "No idea whatsoever, but it's better than just sitting here." Henry glanced at the elevator once more before bending over and picking up the flashlight. "Let's just remember to be careful this time around, yeah?" Their footsteps echoed off the walls as they trekked further into the mines.

Xxxxxx

When Regina and Ruby arrived at the mines the local fire truck and a large crowd of people were already there. The former Queen scanned the crowd for the familiar scruffy figure of the sheriff, which was easy enough when she noticed where almost everyone was looking. Graham was on a small stool a few feet away from the crowd gesturing in different directions, as Regina and Ruby got closer they could hear the accented voice shouting out orders. "Alright everyone, we're not quite sure that they're in the mines. All we know is that this is the last place they were both seen. Emma and I will each lead the two groups going north and south of this area; now I am going to need two volunteers to lead two other teams headed east and west." "I'll lead the group headed west." Stated a familiar voice, Regina looked to her left in shock only to find that Ruby was no longer beside her, but pushing her way to the front of the crowd; Graham shot her a look of understanding before nodding. "That takes care of one group, but we need one more person." "I'll do it." Came a soft voice from the middle of the gathering, the shock on everyone's face was clear as Mary Margret stepped forward. It was no secret that the school teacher and the Mills sisters went together like oil and water, and her willingness to volunteer raised some red flags in Regina's mind. However, the Mayor pushed those thoughts aside, worried more about her family than what the woman could be plotting at the moment. Graham was hesitant but he couldn't afford to turn down a volunteer, time was passing quickly and with it any evidence that could lead to Riley and Henry. "Thank you Miss Blanchard, now we will be keeping in contact via walkie-talkies. I shouldn't have to say this but radio in if you find them. If they haven't been found by two, then we will regroup here and find a way into the mines to get them out. Are we clear?" a murmur of agreement rose from the crowd. "Excellent, now the rest of you will break up into teams to accompany the leaders; this isn't a race or a competition. Henry and Riley's lives are at stake." When the crowd broke into groups, Regina naturally joined Ruby's, but not before glancing at the blonde haired Deputy. As if feeling Regina's eyes on her, Emma turned her head and met the Mayor's gaze head on. For a moment Emma forgot that they weren't the only people in the clearing as her body became hypersensitive. The buzzing in her body didn't stop as Regina walked towards her, seemingly in slow motion. The distance between the women was closing quickly as Emma watched emotions flash behind chocolate orbs. "Please Emma, find them if we cannot." The olive toned woman's voice broke in through the haze of Emma's mind and she could only nod dumbly in response. As she watched Regina's retreating form re-join Ruby's group all she could think of was how heavenly her name had sounded coming from her son's other mother. _'She called me Emma…'_

Xxxxxx

"So I was right." Willow glared at the boy next to her, "How many times must your mother and I repeat that you cannot start off at the middle or end of a sentence and expect anyone to understand what you mean." Henry scowled. "She's not my mother." "And why the hell not? What on Earth could have been so bad that it made you take all the love she'd given you these past ten years and throw it right back in her face?" "She's evil! She stole people's hearts!" Henry shouted angrily. "What's your point? Did she ever threaten you? Abuse you? Anything, anything at all but love you with every fiber of her soul?" Henry huffed and crossed his arms, "No, but that doesn't excuse what she's done." "Correction; on what a **book of fairy tales** says she's done. Does it even say the Evil Queen's name?" "No, butt—"Then I guess there must be an illustration that clearly shows the Queen's face?" "It's not drawn like that; you can—"Then it must talk about birthmarks or scars or some other defining feature?" Henry stomped his foot and stopped walking. "What do you know? You're aren't even a real person; just something 'your beloved Queen' can send to attack people." Willow paused mid-step as her nostrils flared, she whipped around to find Henry looking smugly at her. "I am just as much of a person as she is. This is my life too, and she has been content keep me locked up. I'm sick of the passenger seat; it's about time I had my turn and fix everything she has let get by her." Without another word Willow spun back around and started walking. "I'm getting out of here; feel free to continue your search for whatever the hell it is you are looking for." Henry took a step forward before calling out, "You can't do that!" "Oh yeah?" the woman's footfalls halted "Why can't I?" "My mom would hate you for it." Henry replied smirking. A chilling laugh filled the cavern, "Oh, now she's your mother? Only when it's convenient for you? Well, maybe she is as evil as you say; if that's true would you be willing to test that little theory of yours?" Henry's answer came in the form of hesitant footsteps coming closer. When he returned to her side she spoke again. "I feel a draft; there must be an airshaft nearby. The sooner we find it the sooner we can get out of here." Henry said nothing; the only sign that he'd heard her was his slow nod. Willow could practically hear the gears turning in the child's head._ 'Well, maybe there is hope for the brat after all.' _After along silence the pair finally reached the airshaft. "Is that it?" the boy asked incredulously. "Yeah, that's our ticket out of here." "How are we gonna get up there?" "This is a mine kid; there are pickaxes and rope lying around everywhere." After a few minutes of gathering supplies Henry was firmly tied to his Aunt's back as she prepared to scale the wall of the shaft. "Are you sure this is going to work?" he asked wearily. "That has to be at least 60 feet…" "I've climbed trees taller than that." "With a person tied to your back?" "Just don't look down." Willow warned before beginning her assent.

Xxxxxx

If there was one word that described Regina right now it would be frustrated. They had been searching since nine in the morning, after a quick glance at her watch she noted that they had been searching for a little over two hours. She felt as if there was a ball of ice in her stomach, one that grew every minute they hadn't found her family. She could tell Ruby was affected as well but she was making a good show of holding it together, but the frantic movement of the younger brunette's eyes gave her away. There was no sign of her son or her sister, there hadn't been when they first started searching both Regina and Ruby prayed that they were just searching in the wrong direction.

* * *

Graham swore, so far this search was turning out to be futile. The fact that there was absolutely no trace of either of the missing Mills brought his mind racing back to the entrance of the mines. Sometime last night or earlier this morning the entrance had collapsed, he had no way of knowing if there was more than one layer of rocks blocking the path of the rescuers that had been assembled, that fact troubled him the most. If neither Henry nor Riley were found he was completely unsure they would have the capability to save them. A twig snapped off to his right and the scruffy man's head shot to the direction the sound had come from before sprinting off in that direction. Maybe Riley and Henry weren't in the mine after all.

* * *

Emma bit back a groan of frustration, the time was now twelve thirty and there was still no trace of Henry or Regina's sister. Her squad had been searching diligently for hours and there wasn't so much as a twig out of place. Images of the mine collapsing onto the missing pair or falling down an unfinished shaft were constantly tormenting her as minutes of fruitless searching ticked by. Emma had even taken to looking up at some of the scalable trees just to make sure that neither of them was hidden within the branches. The idea of her son and his aunt stuck in a tree like a pair of frightened housecats was completely ridiculous, but it was a possibility that she had to hold on to. Losing her son, after she had just started to get to know him was something Emma doubted she'd be able to handle. Sure, people willingly left her throughout her life but that was completely different from having someone who wanted to stay forcibly ripped from her. Once again shaking away the image of dull and lifeless green eyes Emma continued her search with renewed fervor. She was not going to lose her second shot at a family.

* * *

Ruby took a deep breath in an attempt to calm herself down, it was doing little good however. Her body was pulling in oxygen through short gasps and her exhalations were ragged and shaky as she tried to focus on anything but the feeling of desperation clawing at her belly. Her lover and nephew (although she'd yet to call him that aloud) were lost and possibly injured and she hadn't been able to find anything that remotely resembled human footprints. She spared a quick glance at Regina too see how the older brunette was holding up, to anyone else it would seem as if the Mayor was barely interested, however Ruby knew better. The woman's tenser than normal posture, creased brow, and slight downward tick of her facial muscles were all indicative of her worry despite Regina's seemingly icy appearance. As she inhaled once more, her mind set on reaching out to her lover's sister the wind shifted. The wind blew in from the east; a burst of mango and oak filled her nostrils making her slightly dizzy. Ruby turns to face the direction of the wind and feels an inexplicable pull. Grabbing the Mayor's wrist she heads toward the scent.

* * *

About forty-five minutes. That's all they had left before everyone had to return to the mines to regroup. Mary Margret wasn't usually one to get angry, but now was an exception. She was planning on giving Henry a stern talking to once they found him and his Aunt. Openly ostracizing his mother was one thing, but putting not only his life at risk but others as well was another thing entirely. The sound of rustling leaves snapped the schoolteacher out of her internal rant, and she looked around in hopes of locating the sound's origin. A grunt quickly broke the silence that had developed. Her feet were moving toward the noise before her mind even registered what was happening; the scene she stumbled upon was a curious one. Henry was laying on the ground his face resting on the sodden grass while his hands were tightly fisted, as if he believed they were the sole reason he had not floated off. Mary Margret's gaze shifted and she fought off a gasp at the intense look the boy's aunt was giving her.

Willow's muscles were screaming abuse, but she pushed on. There were only a few feet left and she'd be dammed if she slipped up now. _'Of course the kid would think Regina would be hiding something in one of the few dangerous places in Storybrooke, it'd be too much to ask that he think that she was hiding something in the candy store.'_ She couldn't be sure but she suspected that her nephew had fainted…or had gone into shock, neither of which was good but at least it kept him from squirming like he had been at the beginning of their climb. A breeze ruffled her hair as she pulled herself over the lip of the hole; she grunted from exertion as she dragged herself a few feet further away from the hole and worked on untying Henry. As soon as he was free he rolled off her and gripped the grass beneath his fingers and started to shake slightly. "I told you not to look down." She says softly as she reaches out to stroke the boy's hair. She doesn't get a chance to as Mary Margret bursts through the bushes; she seems shocked to have found them. Willow doesn't try to mask the rage she feels boiling her blood once the mousy woman's eyes meet hers, standing swiftly ignoring the soreness of her body she closes the distance between them. Her hand reaches out and cups the woman's pale cheek and fights off a smirk as she hears Mary Margret's breathing hitch. Never breaking eye contact Willow's fingers slide down a slender neck where blood is pumping hard just below the skin, but as her finger just barely reaches the small brunette's collarbone both hands surge forward with the intent of slowly squeezing the life out of Mary Margret, formally known as Snow White.


	19. Chapter 19- Lost and Found

**A/N: **Thanks for all of the new follows/favorites, as for the reviews aside from a couple of readers I really don't get any feedback. I'd love to know what the rest of you think, I won't bite your head off or anything if you have some constructive criticism, it will just help feed my muse and my motivation. Anyway, on with the story!

* * *

Regina didn't ask Ruby where they were headed; she was too distracted by the woman's behavior to question anything beyond what she had recently witnessed. It seemed like she was tracking something but not with her eyes. Ruby had stopped a few times to take a breath, and at first Regina suspected that she was just getting winded. However, after a few of those breaks they would suddenly head a different way and that's when Regina realized what was happening. Ruby had caught Riley's scent. Now Regina had no idea how that was possible but she wasn't about to question the woman who with each step was bringing her closer to her family. As their pace slowed Regina looked at her surroundings, she could barely hear the shouts of the other volunteers. After they had walked a few more feet they saw figures standing amongst the trees. Both brunettes' heart skipped a beat as they recognized Riley's frame, and even though they couldn't quite make out who she was talking to they ran as quickly as they could over to them. Regina reached them first nearly tackling her sister; she heard a grunt of surprise as she wrapped her arms around her sister's waist. They would have toppled over if Willow hadn't adjusted her stance at the last minute, "I'm so glad you're alright." Regina choked out. The sound of the distraught Mayor's voice was enough to shock Henry out of his fear induced haze, and he slowly sat up, groaning as he did so. The sound caught Regina's attention and she turned in its direction and was greeted by the sight of slightly distant green eyes. Regina released her sister in favor of frantically searching her son's body for injuries of any kind. Finding that the boy was a bit paler than normal but otherwise unscathed set her mind at ease as she wrapped him in a tight embrace. "Don't you ever scare me like that again, what if you had been in the mines and they finally collapsed?" she spoke into her son's hair as she fought off a strong wave of tears, during her attempt to center herself she became aware of the small arms that were wrapped around her neck. The realization that Henry was returning her embrace sent a shock of warmth throughout her body, before concentrating in her heart. She dared to hope that now he would be able to give up on trying to prove that she was indeed the Evil Queen, and they could start working on rebuilding their relationship.

Ruby watched, thoroughly amused, as the normally stoic Mayor slammed her body into Riley's nearly causing them both to tip over before turning to cling to her son. Movement near the reunited siblings caught her attention and she was shocked to see her best friend, who looked paler than normal, stepping away from the pair. Mary Margret's presence reminded her that there were still people out in the forest looking for her loved ones. She quickly pulled out her walkie-talkie, "This is Team 3 leader Ruby Lucas, both Riley and Henry have been found. Repeat, Riley and Henry Mills have been found. All teams are clear to meet at the rendezvous point." Slipping the walkie-talkie back into her pocket her gaze returned to the timid schoolteacher. Her skin had returned to its natural pallor and the only thing that seemed to be out of place was the frown that was in no way trying to be concealed as she watched the reunion of mother and son. It seemed strange but Ruby just passed it off as the woman planning out the lecture she was going to give Henry, as Ruby herself was doing the very same thing. The sound of soft footfalls distracted her from her plans; she looked over just in time to see a flash of grey eyes before she was wrapped up in an embrace. She closed her eyes as she nuzzled the crook of her lover's neck breathing in her unique scent, one that her mind faintly registered as the scent she had followed earlier, but that thought was pushed to the back of her mind. "I was so scared..." Ruby started, only to trail off unable to follow that train of thought any further. "I know, but I'm safe now. There is no need to dwell on the 'what ifs', it's not what happened, nor will it ever." the professor stated softly and all the brunette could do was nod. "We should head to the rendezvous point, wouldn't want to worry everyone else."

Xxxxxx

Graham nearly had a heart attack as the sound of Ruby's voice broke through the silence of the small clearing. He wanted to reach down and unclip his walkie-talkie to respond, but he was concerned that any sudden movements would startle the other occupant into attacking. Thinking back he couldn't quite remember how things got to where they were now, but he was sure that it was just after he headed toward the sound he had heard coming from this direction. He had only taken two or three steps into the clearing before a loud growl caused him to nearly lose his balance. Whipping his head in the direction of the intimidating sound and his eyes met those of a red and yellow-eyed creature. And that is how he found himself in a silent stare off with the white furred beast in front of him who, thankfully, seemed unaffected by Ruby's voice filling in the tense silence. After a few more tense seconds passed the sounds of approaching volunteers gained his attention and worry. Without breaking eye contact the scruffy man slowly started to back away, he had managed to put a foot or two between them before the snow furred beast growled loudly once again and started to close the distance. A strong shudder went through his body at the sound that caused him to lose balance as he tried to back pedal away from the now openly hostile wolf. He landed on his ass with a thud, but still tried to put distance between him and the danger he found himself in. The sounds of footfalls and shouts from the approaching volunteers of his squad made him still and close his eyes as he felt his heart sink to his stomach. _'I can't allow anyone else to but put in harm's way.'_ Was the only thought frantically flying through his mind as he felt the wolf's hot breath on his face. He took a deep breath and steeled himself, only to have a voice jar his concentration. "Are you alright Graham? You're not hurt are you?" The familiar sound of Archie Hopper's timid voice made the Sheriff's eyes snap open; it only took him seconds to realize that the wolf had disappeared. His breath was coming out in heavy pants but he managed to respond, "Yeah," he internally cursed the tremor in his voice before clearing his throat. "I'm fine Archie. Just lost my footing is all, nothing to worry about." Archie looked at him suspiciously before nodding, "Well then, we should both be getting back to the rendezvous point, shouldn't we Dr. Hopper?" Graham suggested as he stood up and began to head back to the mines. Archie was curious at the normally friendly man's sudden switch to formal titles and filed it away for later review, as he silently followed.

Xxxxxx

Relief hit Regina harder that she thought it would as the mines come into view, Henry's hand was tightly clasped in hers and the warm feeling in her chest had not subsided. In the corner of her eye she could see her sister's stoic features, and Regina had to admit that seeing Riley like this reminded her so much of Rune and Willow that it made her slightly home sick. The only thing that was keeping her from continuing to express the joy and relief she felt at having her family reunited was Mary Margret Blanchard, it was bad enough that she was the one who had found them in the forest but she obviously didn't care that she was impeding on much needed family time despite the numerous hints Regina had dropped at the start of their journey back. Regina rolls her eyes at the dense woman who still seemed blissfully unaware of the Mayor's rising ire, as the group finally makes it passed the tree line. Their arrival is quickly noted and there was a collective sigh of relief as the large group of volunteers recognized who they were. Movement from her left caught Regina's eye but before she could turn to look there was a mass of blonde hair and a relieved cry from an obviously distraught Deputy as she embraced Henry. The sight of the pair embracing normally would have set her temper ablaze, but instead the image struck something deep within her. Her mind was reeling with the surfacing of these new found emotions and she instinctually reached out for her sister to anchor her. Her mind took a bit longer to register that she had only made contact with air, thinking that she had miscalculated the distance between them Regina turned to where she had last seen Riley. Regina's world tilted further as she noticed that her sister was no longer standing beside her lover, who was talking with Mary Margret, which explained why the younger brunette hadn't noted her lover's departure. Regina mentally growled at the small woman, _'She is always causing trouble, anytime anything goes awry she's always right there!' _Regina took a slow deep breath and held it._ 'Calm down Gina, now is not the time to focus on her.'_ She chided herself before slowly releasing the breath she held.

Her eyes flitted across the many faces of volunteers, but she had not yet seen that infuriatingly familiar faux hawk. Sighing she looked toward the tree line that reminded her so much of home as she tried to keep herself calm. Movement from between the trees a little further back caught her eye, she looked back to the crowd who were enjoying the refreshments that had been provided and noticed that the Sheriff was also absent. Her suspicious nature reared its head as she trudged back to the woods. What she stumbled upon wasn't at all what she had expected, Riley had Graham pinned to a tree a snarl marring her pretty features, but instead of looking scared and intimidated Graham seemed to be just as angry. Regina cautiously approached the arguing pair, hoping to catch part of their conversation. As she gets nearer she can hear their hushed but harsh whispers "Don't bullshit me Graham!" the sound of her sister's sharp tone further peaks her interest, but she loses her chance to eavesdrop when her shoe comes into contact with a particularly brittle twig. Regina holds her breath as the twig's snapping seems to echo throughout the surrounding area, quickly silencing the verbal spat between her sister and the Sheriff. Mentally cursing her luck Regina walks toward the pair who had yet to separate; Riley seemed unsurprised at her sudden arrival while Graham had yet to soothe his frazzled nerves. In one swift motion Riley released her hold on the man's collar and took a step back. "Regina, what are you doing here?" The Mayor couldn't help but scoff at the question, "In case you have forgotten, you were only just found and I don't think anyone would appreciate if you went missing again. Now, would you be so kind as to tell me why you were just assaulting the Sheriff?" Riley smirked darkly before replying, "Oh that? I was just putting in a formal complaint about the station's response time." The Sheriff shot Riley a sharp look, "Well with any luck I won't have to be out here again tonight looking for you." Regina was about to speak up but her sister beat her to it, "I'm surprised you can find anything at all with your head shoved so far up your ass. I could be in this very spot and you wouldn't be able to find me."

Regina recognized that the situation was starting to escalate; she needed to act quickly, because Graham was still needed to help her keep tabs on Emma. "Riley enough; Graham did his job and helped get you back safely, whatever it is you have issues with let it be." She didn't believe for a second that what Riley had said was the reason for her aggressive behavior, and her comment made sure that the others knew as well. She watched as her sister stiffened before walking back in the direction of the mines, brushing passed her without another word. Regina suspiciously eyed the Sheriff who was brushing himself off before turning to follow her sister. Regina nearly lost track of her several times while attempting to close the distance, it was as if Riley was a part of the forest itself. The revelation made the Mayor stumble; while Rune and Willow had the uncanny ability to disappear in plain sight, Riley most certainly did not. After losing track of Riley for what seemed to be the twelfth time, Regina filed away her recent discovery for later review and called out to her. A chuckle sounded from somewhere near her a few moments later, "Did you lose your sense of direction?" Riley teasingly asked as she seemingly materialized in front of her. Regina was startled by her sibling's sudden appearance but managed to hide it quickly enough to avoid further teasing, "Not in the least, is it a crime to want to walk with you?" came her sarcastic reply as she took the time to study her sister for any indication of the change of attitude. A slow smirk formed on Riley's face before she retorted, "I'm not sure…maybe you should take it up with our deputy." Regina's glare would have killed a lesser soul, but Riley just looked on with a knowing glint in her eye. _'She's so infuriating! I should smack that stupid look off her face.'_ Regina internally groused as the pair began walking once again. The trek back was a short one and the sisters quickly rejoined the thinning group of volunteers.

* * *

Emma stood quickly as she took in the approaching figures; Riley seemed surprisingly unaffected by her brush with death only an hour ago, but there was a definite shift in her demeanor. Regina looked significantly less stressed than before, which was a definite improvement. The blonde had been worried about the woman's health during the search. "We should get them to the hospital, they need to be checked out by a doctor." She lightly suggested while sending a worried glance to her son. Henry's color was returning but he was still too pale for her liking not to mention the boy was unusually quiet. Regina followed her gaze and saw her son looking so small and fragile and looking back to the blonde's pleading gaze she couldn't help but agree. "You can take the kid, but I'll pass." The sound of Riley's voice cut off the two mother's silent communication. Emma opened her mouth to attempt to dissuade her; unfortunately a calm conversation between two civil parties was not in the cards. "The hell you're not!" was the reply from two different brunettes. During the next few minutes Emma felt as if she were a tourist on safari and happened upon an antelope being mauled by two **very** vicious lionesses. But in the end Riley was brooding in the backseat of the car alongside Henry as Regina triumphantly closed the door. "Miss Swan," Emma shook her head to clear her mind of recent events and turned to the woman addressing her. "Madame Mayor?" Regina shifted around uncomfortably for a moment before speaking, "Thank you…for your help today. Even if you were searching in the wrong place, your efforts were appreciated." The backhanded compliment left the blonde feeling slightly offended, 'I_ wasn't the only one in the wrong group!'_ as Emma was about to bring that fact to light she stopped. _'She was with them..' _movement near the car drew her attention as Ruby slipped into the driver's seat. _'They both were. But how did—_"This is the part where brush aside the compliment and say something about teamwork." Regina's voice droned in, severing whatever kind of connection that Emma's mind was trying to make. Realizing that she had yet to respond, Emma coughed into her fist awkwardly before finally replying, "It really was no problem, but I guess I should be going…besides MM probably wants to head home." Regina eyed the aforementioned woman from afar and only just restrained herself from sneering in the annoyingly chipper schoolteacher. "Ah yes, Miss Blanchard…very well." Regina turned around and strode to the car, as her hand touched the handle she turned to look back in the blonde deputy's direction. The blonde hadn't moved from where she stood at the end of their brief conversation, but her eyes were no longer on the Mayor, her worried gaze was rested solely on Henry. Seeing those green eyes filled with nothing but concern for her son pulled at something within her and words spilled out of her mouth before she could stop them. "Miss Swan?" Green eyes shifted to regard her. Seeing that she had gained the woman's attention the brunette pushed on, "I'll be sure to keep you updated…on his condition." As Ruby drove off toward their destination, she ignored the shocked expression on the green eyed woman's face.

~At the Hospital~

Both Henry and Riley passed the physical assessment Dr. Whale had performed, much to Regina, Ruby, and later Emma's relief after the Mayor kept her word and updated the blonde on her biological son's health. However, the doctor and requested that they stay the night for observation, so that any symptoms that may manifest themselves later could be treated right away. Regina readily agreed, worried of the possibility that she could lose what little family she had left.

Henry hadn't spoken since his aunt carried him out of the mines. The supposedly blood thirsty Enforcer of The Evil Queen had just saved his life; while the woman he believed to be evil incarnate spent the better portion of the day looking for him. She even teamed up with Snow White to do so! _'Is what she said true? Could the book be wrong? All this time…could it have really just been all in my head?'_ Many of these thoughts crossed the boy's mind as they traveled to the hospital. He made no protests when Dr. Whale examined him, not even when his mother said that he would be staying the night. As the nurses wheeled him toward the room he would be staying in something or rather someone caught his attention. Though it was only a brief glance, he could tell that the man wasn't hooked up to any complicated machines, he was just simply laying there. Henry's curiosity was sparked and he turned as far as he could to keep the man and room in his sights as they passed. He was able to clearly see the unconscious man's profile and a slow smile spread across his face as he was deposited into his room. "I know that look." The sound of his aunt's voice jolted him out of his silence as he yelped before glaring at her. The glint in her eye sent a shiver down his spine and let him know that his aunt was still not in control of her body. "Now, normally I would be opposed to your plotting…but I have places to be." Henry's eyes narrowed as he crossed his arms over his chest and asked bravely, "So?" "There isn't much time before Regina fills out the paperwork, so let me put it this way, I will turn a blind eye to whatever you're planning if you don't mention my checking out early." Was the Enforcer's reply; his brow furrowed in confusion when she made no move to elaborate further, but before he could ask what she had meant a familiar sound of clicking heels was heard. Henry looked to her and nodded just as the Mayor's shadow fell across the tiles near the door.

~After Visiting Hours~

Henry had been keeping track of the nurses making rounds, once she came into check on them she would be gone for at least another four hours. That would give him plenty of time to get out of the room, sneak passed the nurses' station and into the stranger's room. Although stranger isn't the word he'd use to describe the comatose patient down the hall, Henry liked to think he knew the man better than most seeing as he was Prince Charming. He just needed evidence to prove his theory, and tonight he would prove to everyone that his adopted mother was the very definition of evil. He looked to the Queen's Enforcer and felt a sense of smug satisfaction bubbling up from within him as he watched her stare aimlessly out the window. There was a soft succession of knocks on the door, as the knob turned Henry closed his eyes and did his best to even out his breathing. The door swung open gently and he heard a stifled gasp before something about vitals was softly mumbled. After a few minutes of successfully feigning sleep, Henry kept up his act for a few more moments to ensure that the nurse would not be returning before slowly sitting up. He was slightly shocked to see that the bed across from him was no longer occupied, but chose not to dwell on how she managed to pull off her disappearing act. As his socked feet hit the floor, he crouched down and made his way to the door. However, a slight sting in his arm brings his attention to a variable he didn't plan for: the IV bag. Moving through the halls with the IV stand would prove to be difficult but not impossible, and Henry was confident in his abilities. And so with his hand wrapped around the pole of the IV stand, Henry ventured out into the hospital. He squinted as the harsh fluorescent light burned his eyes as they adjusted to the light. Once he could open his eyes normally, he trekked down towards the end of the hallway to his left. _'Thank goodness the wheels on this thing don't squeak.'_ Henry noted with relief as he approached the end of the hall. _'The nurses' station is right around this corner, time to check if the coast is clear.' _He pressed himself closely against the wall and took a deep breath and held it. Before his nerves got the better of him he quickly peeked around the edge of the wall. As he returned to his spot on the wall he slowly released relaxed, the station had been thankfully vacant but he wasn't sure how long that would remain true. As he rounded the corner IV stand in toe, his eyes met cold and calculating blue eyes and his heart sputtered in his chest.

* * *

The air was a bit cooler than he had expected, but he didn't let that fact slow him down. The moon was nearly full and shining brightly in the sky, casting eerie shadows through the tree branches. The atmosphere caused the hairs on his neck to stand at attention as he trudged through the shrubs and tall grass that decorated most of the forest floor. As he reached his destination he checked his watch, though they had not stated a time when they would meet he hoped that they would both arrive around midnight. A throat cleared, breaking the heavy silence and startled him, but instead of jumping in fright he glared at the person responsible, "You're still as sadistic as ever, I see. Good to know a near death experience hasn't changed you." Her grey eyes flashed in the moonlight as she stepped out of the shadows, "Graham, always so clever. I must admit I'm surprised you came, although I did give you a pretty big hint." The way she was smirking caused the edges of his vision to blur and his ears to hum as he heard bit and pieces of past conversations whirled around his mind. "Cut the bullshit, why'd you tell me to meet you here?" his teeth gritting together as he fought a wave of nausea. The smirk slipped from the eldest Mills face as she observed the color drain from the sheriff's face. "You have questions, I've got answers; not all of them though. You're starting to remember, we've need to figure out how and why this is happening." Her response unsettled his stomach even more as he dropped to his hands and knees trying to find something to keep him from falling deeper into the sense of vertigo. "No, no! This isn't happening. It can't be!" "I think I'd know the signs better than anyone," Grey orbs took in the sight of the man's shaking frame, normally apathetic eyes alight with empathy.

* * *

Most of the lights were off in the apartment that Mary Margret and Emma shared, all except the ones lighting the living room. Mary Margret was pacing, she had been thinking about the events that had taken place that day, one moment in particular. She fought not to yell in frustration, she had to be mindful of the blonde deputy that slept only feet above her. Running a hand through her hair she fought to keep her calm. _'There is no way she meant it. I have to be reading too much into it.' _Nodding to herself, she made her way over to her bed and sat on the edge of it; the scene in her mind playing over and over. As she felt phantom fingers brush the skin of her cheek, she stood up from her seat and headed to the door, grabbing her keys as she exits the apartment. _'I have to see him. I can't risk it.'_ As she cranks up her car all she can her is Riley's voice in her head '_I know who you are.'_


End file.
